Writer · Filmmaker · Photographer
About
Biography, education and work.
Leo Antonio Valentino is a writer, filmmaker and photographer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. His work spans memoir, fiction, poetry, theatre, screenwriting and photography.
His short films as writer and director include Hijab (2013) and Islamic Marriage (2011). He is the author of Taxi Driver Diaries in Las Vegas. His fiction includes What Angels Sell and The Man Who Lost His Ear.
He is also the screenwriter of feature-length and short-film adaptations of Captain Tom and Franny, based on the novel by Jennifer McGraw-Miceli.
Education
Learning the craft
MFA in Film Production, Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, 2013. Emphasis in Sound Design, with additional study in writing and directing.
He also studied writing and directing at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and filmmaking at the College of Southern Nevada.
Recognition
The Attic
A 2013 Cecil Award nomination for Best Sound Design — Graduate, for work on The Attic.
Chapman University announcement ↗From the archive
Taxi driving and Syria
Leo worked as a taxi driver in Las Vegas, an experience documented in his memoir and photographs. Syria 2010 is a documentary in development from photographs of his visits to Syria.
Films ↗