Michael Costanza
Directing
Biography
Mike Costanza attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where he earned a B.A. in Film & Television. He began his career in the Art Department on feature films before transitioning into directing short films and music videos. His award-winning short film Mama Said screened at the Sundance Film Festival and was selected for Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d’Or. The film went on to win Best Short Film at the Torino Film Festival, establishing Mike as a distinctive new voice in independent cinema. Mike is also the creator of the LGBTQ supernatural series Dante’s Cove, as well as the writer/director of the acclaimed indie horror film The Collingswood Story. Years before Zoom and FaceTime, The Collingswood Story was built entirely around online video chats, a then-radical concept that helped pave the way for later films such as Host and Unfriended. Today, the film is widely recognized as the first screenlife film. The Collingswood Story was released on Blu-ray and made available on Shudder, AMC+, and Prime Video, further cementing its reputation as a landmark in independent horror. In 2022, Bloody Disgusting reaffirmed the film’s legacy, calling it "the first true screenlife horror flick." Upon its initial release, Collingswood was championed by outlets including Empire Magazine, Dreamwatch, SFX, and critic Kim Newman. Other projects include Skatelife 3D, a VR experience shot on the Samsung Round 360 featuring legendary skater Steve Caballero, music videos, and anti-violence PSAs. Mike's recent project is El Cruce, a film exploring migration through the experience of a Guatemalan farmer. El Cruce reflects Mike's continued interest in bold narrative structures and socially resonant storytelling.
Known For
A young gay couple must overcome dark, mystical forces conspiring against them, starting with a vengeful 19th century witch and her cheating warlock fiance.
Dante's Cove
Keen young Raymold Avila joins the Internal Affairs Department of the Los Angeles police. He and partner Amy Wallace are soon looking closely at the activities of cop Dennis Peck whose financial holdings start to suggest something shady. Indeed Peck is involved in any number of dubious or downright criminal activities. He is also devious, a womaniser, and a clever manipulator, and he starts to turn his attention on Avila.
Internal Affairs
When Rebecca went away to college, her boyfriend John thought video chatting would help them stay in touch. But idle curiosity leads to a dark secret when Rebecca and John video chat with Vera Madeline, an online psychic, who initiates a deadly reign of terror over their lives.
The Collingswood Story
Over a decade before President Obama signed the Mathew Shepard Act in 2009, 'Beat the Bash' was produced in hopes of bringing public awareness to the heinous act of gay bashing.
Beat the Bash
The Market Street 6 chronicles the final hours of six people who become stranded when the subway they are riding supposedly breaks down. Forced to depart the train the passengers band together to locate the nearest emergency exit...
The Market Street 6
On a perilous journey north, a Guatemalan farmer risks everything to secure a future for his family, as past and present collide in a story of survival, memory, and sacrifice.
The Crossing
No description available.