MISSION
Award-winning film producer, director, and editor, Joe DeVito III, founder and owner of Mariano Films, heads a dynamic and diverse team of artists, filmmakers, and collaborators with a priority to reinforce the importance of meaningful storytelling and the craft of filmmaking. Mariano Films is a twenty-first century, family-owned company rooted in proud traditions, artistic integrity, and positive influences through the art of motion pictures.
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Joe DeVito, III
Producer / Director
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Since the early 1980s, Joe DeVito III has appeared as an actor in stage plays and independent films. He has worked as a producer and editor on films ranging from short subject documentaries to major motion pictures. In 2003 DeVito worked for Cataland Films in New York City with acclaimed producer Richard Perello for the film Brooklyn Rules, starring Alec Baldwin, Freddie Prince Jr., Scott Caan, and Mena Suvari.
Two years later he became the co-owner of Forward Features, a cutting-edge digital video production company that produced documentaries, music videos, and an array of media services for worldwide corporate clients. Under this company he achieved recognition at the Tribeca Film Festival for the film entitled Humanoid, about a defective robot that was purchased under false pretenses. He continued producing films that spawned an underground fan-base for their quirky and unusual humor.
When Mariano Films was created in 2007 DeVito moved into larger collaborations with major studios, musicians, and producers at HBO, Fox Searchlight, Warner Brothers, and Nickelodeon. Mariano Films was recognized in 2008 for the short comedy film Handicapped, a movie advocating the rights of disabled persons, as well as the documentary Open 24 Hours, an inside look at the New Jersey diner culture. DeVito also collaborated with New Jersey Pictures as a producer and editor for the documentary We Love You, headed by three-time Academy Award® Nominee Steve Kalafer, and worked side-by-side with director Jonathan Kalafer. The film was awarded "Best Documentary" at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival and "Best Short Documentary" at the New Jersey Film Festival in 2009.
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In his personal work, Mr. DeVito is largely focused on "dark" comedy that deals with current issues about our society and culture, evoking conversation and awareness through humor, irony, and the surreal.
Joe DeVito, Jr.
Executive Producer
Behind the scenes, Joe DeVito Jr. is a treasured advisor to his son, Joe DeVito III, extending as far back as the father-son team have shared a love for movies and the art of storytelling. Joe Jr. holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration with an extensive background of over 40 years experience, collectively, in mechanical engineering, manufacturing, industrial management, and procurement processes and programs for spend-related matters in global, corporate markets. Retired from this line of work in 2018, he is, as of 2020, an official member of the Mariano Films company. Joe Jr.'s main focus areas with Mariano Films are his continued commitment to the quality and craftsmanship of each project, the successful expansion and productivity of the business, and the social and societal impact of the stories they tell on screen.
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