FILMMAKERS
JOE CASTRO
Director / Producer / Special EFX Make-up Artist / Visual EFX Artist
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Director, Producer, and Special Effects Artist, Joe Castro, born in San Antonio, Texas, began his career at age 15 when he was hired to create special effects make-up for a PBS affiliate and graduated to writing and directing his own feature films, in the 80's, when his parents invested in his career and bought him a portable VHS camera.
In 1985, Joe won the National special effects make-up contest in Monsterland magazine. In 1989, Joe moved to Los Angeles, California to continue his career in filmmaking.
In 1993, Joe produced and directed his first feature film, CEREMONY, shot on 35mm Panavision. The film was an apocalyptic horror thriller. This film won a Silver Award at the Worldfest Charleston Film Festival. In 1997, Joe produced his second Internationally distributed feature film, Legend of the Chupacabra on his parent's ranch.
In 2001, Joe produced, directed, and created the special effects for the wildly, successful cult film, TERROR TOONS. This film has already spawned four sequels.
In 1994, Lionsgate distributed Joe's 7th feature titled, THE JACKHAMMER MASSACRE.
In 2011, Joe released his multi-award winning film, THE SUMMER OF MASSACRE, which won him the Guinness Book Of World Record for "Highest body count in a Slasher film," which is 155 kills.
Altogether, Joe has won over 46 awards in producing, directing, and creating special effects.
Since teaming with his partner, Steven Escobar, Castro has Produced, Written & Directed 16 feature films.
STEVEN ESCOBAR
Executive Producer / Picture & Sound Editor
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Steven Escobar, born and raised in Edinburg, Texas and is a graduate from The University of Texas – Pan American where he majored in Communications. Steven started his career when he took a Radio & TV class, that was taught at his high school. After 20 years of wearing many hats in production and post-production, Steven chose editing as his career.
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In 1992, Steven began Associate Producing the musical variety show, Budweiser's Dance Time in Texas which ran for 2 years as a syndicated television series. He went on to co-create the successful music series titled, Tejano Country.
In 1996, Abraham Quintanilla (Q Productions, Inc.) contacted Steven to produce Latin music videos by such artists as Selena, Pete Astudillo, and Jennifer Pena. This lead to his involvement on the Warner Bros. Film, "Selena".
In 2000, Steven moved to Los Angeles to become a freelancer, where he has successfully been producing and editing various television, feature film, and documentary projects. He has brought his leadership and vision to a variety of feature film projects, beginning with the micro-budget horror film, Terror Toons in 2001. A steady stream of projects followed: Near Death, The Jackhammer Massacre, Terror Toons 2 and the feature documentary, Life After Tomorrow, which aired on Showtime. Steven also holds a Guinness World Record for the feature film, The Summer of Massacre.
In 2007, Steven won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture Editing for Reality Programming for his team work on The Amazing Race, which aired on CBS.
OTHER FEATURE FILMS
CEREMONY. Joe Castro co-writer / Director / SPFX Make-up. Distributed Internationally
THE LEGEND OF THE CHUPACABRA. Joe Castro Directed / Produced / SPFX Make-up and Effects. Steven Escobar Co-producer. Distributed Internationally
TERROR TOONS. Joe Castro Director / Writer / SPFX Make-up and Effects. Steven Escobar Co-Producer / Editor. Distributed Internationally
BLOOD FEAST 2. Joe Castro SPFX Make-up Artist and Effects. Worked with Herschell Gordon Lewis,
BUTCHERED aka The Hazing. Joe Castro Directer / SPFX Make-up and Effects. Distributed Internationally
BLOOD SISTERS. Joe Castro Directer / SPFX Make-up and Effects. Distributed Internationally
MANIACAL. Joe Castro Directer / SPFX Make-up and Effects. Steven Escobar Editor. Distributed Internationally
THE JACKHAMMER MASSACRE Joe Castro Producer / Director / Writer / SPFX Make-up and Effects. Steven Escobar Producer / Editor. Distributed by Lions Gate
NEAR DEATH. Joe Castro Produced / Directed / Writer / SPFX Make-up and Effects. Steven Escobar Producer / Editor. Distributed Internationally.
TERROR TOONS 2. Joe Castro Producer / Director / Writer / SPFX Make-up and Effects. Steven Escobar Producer / Editor. Distributed Internationally.
THE SUMMER OF MASSACRE. Joe Castro Producer / Director / Writer / SPFX Make-up and Effects. Steven Escobar Executive Producer / Editor. Distributed Internationa
TERROR TOONS 3. Joe Castro Producer / Director / Writer / SPFX Make-up and Effects. Steven Escobar Executive Producer / Editor. Distributed Internationally.