Andrew Muscato
{{short description|American film director and producer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Andrew Muscato
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Andrew Joseph Muscato
| othername =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|11|26}}
| birth_place = Morristown, New Jersey, U.S.
| alma_mater = New York University
| occupation = Filmmaker
| notable_works =
| years_active = 2008–present
| spouse =
}}
Andrew Joseph Muscato (born November 26, 1985) is an American film director and producer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimryan1/2022/01/31/bill-murray-jan-vogler-and-andrew-muscato-on-storytelling-as-new-worlds-hits-theaters/?sh=5647b5ce7d76|title=Bill Murray, Jan Vogler And Andrew Muscato On Storytelling As 'New Worlds' Hits Theaters|website=forbes.com|access-date=2022-09-21}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/mgy8dp/vice-sports-qa-doped-director-andrew-muscato|title=VICE Sports Q&A: "Doped" Director Andrew Muscato|website=vice.com|date=30 September 2015 |access-date=2022-09-21}} He is known for the documentary films The Zen of Bobby V., Schooled: The Price of College Sports, New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization and the feature film The Greatest Beer Run Ever.{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2013/08/strand-releasing-picks-up-baseball-doc-brancas-pitch-35848/|title=Strand Releasing Picks Up Baseball Doc 'Branca's Pitch'|website=indiewire.com|date=14 August 2013 |access-date=2022-09-21}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/andrew-muscato-on-his-new-movie-doped-the-dirty-side-of-sports/|title=Andrew Muscato On His New Movie 'Doped: The Dirty Side Of Sports'|website=cbsnews.com|date=29 September 2015 |access-date=2022-09-21}}
Early life
Muscato was born in Morristown, New Jersey. He was raised in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township, New Jersey, where he attended Ridge High School.{{cite web |title='New Worlds': How Bill Murray made beautiful music with N.J. director |date=February 2022 |url=https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2022/02/new-worlds-how-bill-murray-made-beautiful-music-with-a-nj-director.html}} He graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mcall.com/entertainment/mc-xpm-2013-10-02-mc-movies-brancas-pitch-ralph-1003-20131002-story.html|title=New Jersey filmmaker delivers 'Branca's Pitch'|website=mcall.com|access-date=2022-09-21}}
Career
While still an undergrad film student at NYU he produced his first feature documentary The Zen of Bobby V. for ESPN.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/13/sports/baseball/13sandomir.html|title='Zen of Bobby V' Follows a Familiar Face in a Foreign Land|work=The New York Times |date=13 May 2008 |access-date=2022-09-21 |last1=Sandomir |first1=Richard }} The film chronicles baseball manager Bobby Valentine's career in Japan. Muscato and Valentine would go on to form the production company Makuhari Media.{{Cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2012/07/10/bobby_valentine_goes_hollywood_for_real/|title=Valentine film delivers heat|newspaper=Boston.com|date=10 July 2012 |access-date=2022-09-21 |last1=King |first1=Loren }} The company produces sports themed documentaries.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehour.com/news/article/Bobby-Valentine-Movie-Producer-8119152.php|title=Bobby Valentine: Movie Producer|website=thehour.com|date=8 March 2011 |access-date=2022-09-21}}
The company's first documentary, Ballplayer: Pelotero, was met with both critical acclaim,https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ballplayer_pelotero and controversy.https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/ballplayer-pelotero-review-baseball-dominican-republic/
In 2013, he directed his debut feature documentary Branca's Pitch, about Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/strand-picks-up-baseball-documentary-606527/|title=Strand Picks Up Baseball Documentary 'Branca's Pitch'|website=hollywoodreporter.com|date=14 August 2013 |access-date=2022-09-21}}
Muscato produced and narrated an episode of ESPN's 30 for 30 podcast series.{{cite web |title='30 for 30 Podcasts' to Tackle Jose Canseco, NY Marathon Protest, and World Series of Poker Boom in Latest Season |url=https://www.imdb.com/news/ni62239791 |website=IMDB}} The episode, "The Loophole" (season 4, episode 4), chronicles Japanese baseball pitcher Hideo Nomo's journey to Major League Baseball. It debuted in November 2018.
A year later, Muscato produced a three-part investigative documentary for The Athletic into head trauma research at UNC-Chapel Hill. The documentary, "Failure to Disclose" was hosted by Armen Keteyian.{{cite web |title=Failure to Disclose: The mysterious absence of critical data from UNC's renowned concussion research |url=https://theathletic.com/video/21-adhd/}}
In 2021, he directed the concert documentary, New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization, an Official Selection of the 74th Cannes Film Festival.{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/bill-murray-new-worlds-the-cradle-of-civilization-poster/|title=Exclusive: Bill Murray's Concert Film 'New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization' Unveils Poster|website=collider.com|date=29 June 2021 |access-date=2022-09-21}}
Along with Skydance Media, he produced The Greatest Beer Run Ever, directed by Academy Award winner Peter Farrelly. It premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.{{Cite web|url=https://tiff.net/events/the-greatest-beer-run-ever|title=The Greatest Beer Run Ever|website=tiff.net|access-date=2022-09-21}} In February 2023, it was announced that Muscato and Skydance Media would re-team to produce another Peter Farrelly movie, Balls Up.https://deadline.com/2023/02/peter-farrelly-paul-wernick-rhett-reese-balls-up-skydance-1235254175/
Filmography
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
!Title ! Credit ! Note |
|---|
| | 2008
| The Zen of Bobby V | Producer | Documentary |
| | 2012
| Executive producer | Documentary |
| | 2013
| Branca's Pitch | Director and producer | Documentary |
| | 2013
| Schooled: The Price of College Sports | Producer | Documentary |
| | 2015
| After Schooled | Director and producer | Documentary short |
| | 2015
| Doped: The Dirty Side of Sports | Director, writer and producer | Documentary |
| | 2015
| The Greatest Beer Run Ever | Director and producer | Documentary short |
| | 2016
| Checkmates | Director and producer | Documentary short |
| | 2016
| My Life with Ali | Director and producer | TV documentary |
| | 2016
| Muhammad Ali: A Life | Director and producer | TV documentary |
| | 2017
| The Sprinter Factory | Producer | Documentary short |
| | 2018
| Vice Presents: Red Cards - The Donaghy Paradox | Director and producer | Documentary Series |
| | 2018
| Mooch | Director and producer | Documentary |
| | 2019
| American Swamp | Co-Executive Producer | Documentary Series / MSNBC |
| | 2021
| New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization | Director and producer | Documentary |
| | 2022
| Producer | Feature film |
| | TBA
| Balls Up | Producer | Feature film |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
!Result !Award !Category !Work !Ref. |
|---|
| 2021
|style="background: #ffdddd"| Nominated |Golden Eye |New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|2905040|Andrew Muscato}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muscato, Andrew}}
Category:American documentary film directors
Category:American documentary film producers
Category:Film producers from New Jersey
Category:People from Bernards Township, New Jersey
Category:People from Morristown, New Jersey
Category:Ridge High School alumni
Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni
Category:Film directors from New Jersey
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