Education
M.F.A., Film Production, Columbia University (2008)
Post-Grad, Advance Television & Film, Sheridan College (2003)
B.A., Communication Studies, The University of Windsor (2002)
Areas of Interest
Film and Video Production; Directing; Screenwriting; Producing; Acting; Interactive Media.
Biography
Professor, Film Production
Michael Stasko is a talented and award-winning filmmaker who has written, produced and directed seven feature films that have premiered at prestigious festivals and sold to major distributors. His films range from comedy to sci-fi, and feature stars like Ray Wise, Tom Cavanagh, Fred Willard, Graham Greene, Colin Mochrie and Kevin McDonald. He has also created and produced original TV shows for YTV and CBC. Michael Stasko is a versatile and visionary storyteller who always delivers engaging and entertaining stories for the screen. Works include "Things To Do" (2006), "Iodine" (2009), "The Brider" (2014), "The Control" (2018) and "Boys vs. Girls" (2020).
Most recently he produced the psychological thriller "Depraved Mind" (2023) with Suede Productions. His current project "Vampire Zombies...from Space!" is in advance post-production gearing up for a festival run in late-2024. He also presently producing feature length films for the Stratford Festival.
IMDb: imdb.me/mikestasko
Notable Filmography
2024 – Present
Producer for “Stratford Theatre Feature Length Films”, Various, A World Elsewhere Production Inc./Suede Productions, Stratford Theatre/Mongrel Media/Various, Stratfest@Home/Various, ongoing anthology series, 20+ titles/films.
2022 – PresentWriter, Producer, Director, Editor for “Vampire Zombies...from Space!”, 2024, Mike Stasko, The Dot Film Company, forthcoming, Fall 2024 film festival run, (93 min).
2022 – 2024
Producer for “Depraved Mind”, 2023, Nicholas Shields, Suede Productions, Level Films, Serendipity, April 2023, Capital City Film Festival, Palm Beach International Film Festival, Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival, Pittsburgh
Independent Film Festival, Motorcity Nightmares Film Festival, (103 min).
2018 – 2020
Writer, Producer, Director, Editor for “Boys vs. Girls”, 2020, Mike Stasko, The Dot Film Company, Mongrel Media (Canada), Gravitas Ventures (America & World). Starring Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is It Anyways?) & Kevin McDonald (The Kids in the Hall). Winner Best Feature Film & Audience Choice - Chicago Comedy Film Festival 2020, Winner Best Canadian Feature - Canadian International Comedy Film Festival 2020, Winner Best Writer & Best Ensemble Cast - Florida Comedy Film Festival 2020,
(80 min).
2015 – 2018
Writer, Producer, Director, Lead Actor, Editor for “The Control”, 2018, a feature film (Nice International Film Festival, Houston WorldFest, Toronto Independent Film Festival). Distributed by Freestyle Digital Media, (94 min).
2006 – 2015
Writer, Producer for “The Birder” a feature film (Calgary International Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival) with TeleFilm Canada, Union Films Distribution, DVD released 2015. Sold and distributed through Sony Pictures in USA. Starring Tom Cavanagh (Ed, The Flash), Fred Willard (Wall-E, Best In Show) and Graham Greene (Dances With Wolves, The Green Mile), (85 min).
2008 – 2010
Writer, Producer, Director, Lead Actor, Editor for “Iodine” a feature film (The Montreal World Film Festival, Remi Award Winner World-Fest Houston International Film Festival, limited theatrical run 2010, DVD released 2010, starring Ray Wise (Twin Peaks, Reaper). (Walmart, HMV, Amazon, iTunes) (Canadian distribution: Anchor Bay, US and World: Whitewater), (96 min).
2004 – 2006
Writer, Editor, Producer, Lead Actor for “Things To Do” a feature film (Official selection at the Slamdance International Film Festival 2006 and Stockholm International Film
Festival, theatrical release in US and DVD and TV release all across North America (The Movie Network, Blockbuster, etc…), (Mongrel Media: Canada, Lifesize Entertainment, US and World), (85 min).
Courses Taught
FILM2100 “Film Production III”
VSAR8650 “Studio Production I”
FILM2300 “Screenwriting I”
FILM3700 “Directing”
FILM4200 “Documentary Production III”
FILM4100 “Film Production V”
FILM4300 “Screenwriting III”
FILM3300 “Screenwriting II”
CMAF2200 “Screenwriting Fundamentals”
CMAF3200 “Intermediate Screenwriting”
CMAF4950 “Directed Reading”
CMAF3170 “Directing the Screen Performance”
CMAF2310 “Film Production”
02-40-323 “Production Planning & Development”
02-40-112 “Introduction to Media Design and Production I”
02-40-232 “Documentary”
02-40-499 “Internships”
02-40-209 “Fundamentals of Sound Technology”
02-40-424 “Advance Non-Fiction Media”
02-40-219 “Digital Media Production II”
02-40-260 “Fundamentals of Writing for Media”
02-40-209 “Fundamentals of Sound Technology”
02-40-221 “The Art of Photo-blogging”
Previous (Ryerson, uOttawa, Western, Algonquin)
CMN4170 "Social Uses of New Media"
CMN2150 "History of Journalism"
CIN3199 "World Cinema"
CMN3165 "Media Industries"
CMN2132 "Non-Verbal Communication"
CMN4166 "Audience Research"
CMN2167 "Video I"
CIN3108 "New Images"
CIN3198 "Canadian and Quebec Cinema: Documentary"
CMN3182 "Policy Studies"
CMN2152 "Image & Communication"
CMN2168 "Globalization & Communication"
CIN3197 "Canadian and Quebec Cinema: Fiction"
MIT3373 "Social Media and Organizations"
MIT2305 "Radio & Television as Entertainment Media"
CFPN502 "Directing the Screen Performance"
TVA0002 "Video Editing for Television"
JOU5210 "Developing your Documentary"