Dito Montiel

Although Dito Montiel's career as a punk musician in the 1980s never quite took off, the colorful stories from this formative period are what eventually lent to his success as a filmmaker. After publishing his memoir A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2003), Montiel became a writer and director, first adapting the book and then moving on to direct action films, dramas, and sci-fi pieces. Orlandito Anthony "Dito" Montiel, Jr. was born in New York, New York. His earliest creative exploits were musical, leading him partnership with the punk bands Major Conflict and Gutterboy in the late 1980s. Following the dissolution of each, Montiel brought his musical talents to the cinematic realm, acting as composer for films like "Leprechaun 2" (1994) and "Bullet for Breakfast" (1994). Montiel made his acting debut with a small role in the latter. Montiel's film career remained stagnant until after the publication of his memoir A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2003). He made his screenwriting and directing debut with an adaptation of the book, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Rosario Dawson. In the years to follow Montiel scripted two more films, "Fighting" (2009) and "The Son of No One" (2011), which both starred Channing Tatum. In addition to these, Montiel directed titles including the action flick "Empire" (2013), the Robin Williams-starring drama "Boulevard" (2014), and the sci-fi thriller "Man Down" (2015).