A longtime Director of Photography, Jack Messitt made his feature film directorial debut with Midnight Movie. After winning Best Feature Film at the Chicago Horror Film Festival, it had a successful limited theatrical run in the fall of 2008. Distributed by Phase 4 Films, the Midnight Movie DVD has sold extremely well, followed by a strong Blu-Ray release. It aired extensively on Showtime and The Movie Channel and is currently running on Chiller TV.
“When Messitt gets his hands on a real budget, look out!” - Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Top 10 Best Direct to DVD Horror Movies Ever Made” - The Huffington Post
“5 out of 5 stars! - To say that this film is absolutely kick ass would be the understatement of the year.” - GoreZone Magazine
“Jack Messitt's Superior Horror Opus. Perfect Fear Fare” - DVD of the Month (March 2009) - Fangoria Magazine
“The #1 Horror Film of 2008” - Fatally-Yours.com
“One of the Top 70 Horror Movies of the Decade" - Skrin (Apresiasi Horror)
And Midnight Movie just got better with Midnight Movie: The Killer Cut
This definitive director's cut features new and enhanced visual effects, extended scenes and never before seen footage! If you think you have already seen the movie, believe me, you haven't seen it like this! After a limited theatrical run, the MM:TKC DVD hit the streets in June, 2011.
Messitt is no stranger to the production process. A graduate of the highly competitive American Film Institute, he worked as a Director of Photography and Camera Operator for close to twenty years. His television work includes hundreds of hours of programming such as Fox’s Bones, Glee, Sons of Anarchy and American Idol, NBC's The Event, Comedy Central’s Strip Mall , DirecTV’s CD-USA and Oxygen Network’s Campus Ladies. His feature film DP credits include Irreversi, Girl With No Number and The Curiosity of Chance. His international experience has brought him to Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Belgium, Canada, Philippines and throughout the United States. Messitt is a former 1st Vice President of the Society of Camera Operators and editor of Camera Operator magazine.
Always one to keep up with current technology, Jack was recently seen on CNN as he completed intensive 3D training at the Sony 3D Technology Center. This is hugely important for every Director because the techniques we have all learned in traditional filmmaking do not necessarily work in 3D. Because our visual storytelling vocabulary needs to change with this technology, Jack's training makes him ready for anything.
Messitt's screenplay Trust was produced by TF1 International. The thriller starring Jamie Luner (Melrose Place, All My Children) has shown on Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network, Movie Central and the numerous TF1 networks throughout international markets.
Working together with manga publishing giant Tokyopop, Messitt wrote the screenplay and is attached to direct the adaptation of the graphic novel 12 days.
Jack has also been a 2nd Unit Director on several feature films: Irreversi, which filmed in Hong Kong, is in the final stages of post-production and should launch at AFM later this year. Girl With No Number was shot in Vietnam and the Philippines and premiered at the 2011 Singafest Film Festival.
