About Michael
Michael LiCastri is an actor, writer and director. He has created a wide variety of films that can be seen on his IMDb page. He also has his own production company called 1202 Productions and graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Cinema Studies and a concentration in Screenwriting.
He founded his production company in 2012 and continues to build it to this day. Michael has held many hats, including producer, stand-up comedian and actor. He has worked in film, TV, and radio for over two decades.
LiCastri started acting at the age of 8 and has been working on the craft ever since. He has acted in plays across the Central Florida area and has directed and produced some as well. As a comedian, he has an album that was released last October 2019. He also regularly performs live around the Tampa Bay, Florida area.
Lastly, Michael was a host for a popular radio show in the Orlando, Florida area from 2007-2011. Currently, he is working on a podcast, with Ross Alagna, that should be out soon.
Movie Talk
Michael has been apart of several short films, some of which have appeared at film festivals across the country. His first feature, The Best Laid Plans (2019) was acquired for distribution and released globally last year. It is now available to watch on Amazon Prime for free.
I had a chance to ask Michael a few questions about his career and his feature ilm. He told me that he is a fan of films by Kevin Smith and John Hughes, especially their early works. His film, The Best Laid Plans is inspired by their films.
He grew up acting, so making the journey into filmmaking was natural for him. He found his love for comedy in his teen years, then went on to film school and made ten short films.
In regards to his first feature film, he wrote the script because he was having a hard time finding work after he graduated from college in 2011. Although the script was finished in 2012, the movie was filmed later in his career. He told me that this question inspired much of his film, “What makes good people do bad things?” He chose to explore this question comedically because most films that encounter this question tend to be dramatic.
The Best Laid Plans (2019)
I had the chance to watch this film and enjoyed it. It is a nice combination of humor and great directing. As someone who has watched hundreds of films submitted to film festivals, this film stands out. The production quality is great and the film is peppered with unique, thoughtful jokes. Also, the characters are each interesting in their own regard.
The Best Laid Plans tells the story of a group of friends who desperately need money. This desperation causes them to come up with a plan that may or may not go as expected. This light-hearted film keeps your attention and keeps you guessing.
Watch his films:
You can check him out on IMDb, his Production company’s website or check out the last film he was a part of on IMDb or Amazon Prime. Here is also a link to Michael’s comedy album.
Thanks for reading,
Arianna
*All photos are provided by Michael LiCastri.
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Aloha Arianna 