Biography

Award winning writer/director/actor Vito Roppo began his acting career on the stage, majoring in theater before eventually earning his master's in Italian from a Big Ten university. He later studied screenwriting and direction in Los Angeles.

He directed/edited the episodic documentary: 'From a Dark Place' (2021) - an Official Selection and Best International Director Finalist at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival: #1 Documentary Festival Worldwide (Film Daily) and Official Selection at The Catalina Film Festival: A top 1% Festival of more than 10,000 Film Festivals worldwide. (Film Freeway) And shortlisted at SXSW and Dances With Films - both listed as Top Ten Film Festivals of the United States (USA Today)

Vito is in development to direct his original screenplay 'The Sound of Longing' a family drama about a single father musician desperately trying to reach his withdrawn and drifting eldest son - a 19 year old musical prodigy who has inexplicably lost his muse.

The screenplay for 'The Sound of Longing' received consecutive high profile industry screenwriting awards: Quarterfinalist at American Zoetrope sponsored by Francis Ford Coppola and Quarterfinalist at Cynosure - sponsored by Fox Searchlight, Showtime and The Paradigm Agency.

"Very good job with the script, excellent work on many levels, congratulations. Very moving with some compelling characters and a lot of wonderful dialogue."

Bill Svanoe - Screenwriter:

Fatal Beauty - Waltz Across Texas

"I just finished reading The 'Sound of Longing' and I have to tell you it was more than a pleasure. Your screenplay is rich beyond words. You've taken a very difficult theme and elevated it in a way I have never seen."

T Green - Producer/Director:

Almost Salinas - Heavens Fall

"Powerful story elements, pages and pages of good dialogue, some very funny moments and flashes of real brilliance. Very well thought out."

Jeff Guenther - Playwright:

Midnight in the Garden of Isis - 500 Goodbyes

"A lot of very good material in an interesting and heartfelt story. The father is a sympathetic and complex character within a story told mainly in dialogue with fantasy sequences that give it a distinct lyrical style. His close-knit, loving relationship with his two boys is genuinely moving. This script certainly has much potential for success as a moving independent film."

Film Independent

"A gentle coming of age story told from the father's slowly dawning emotional point of view. Some very good ideas here from a sincere author."

Slamdance

"The relationship between father and sons is very good and the romantic relationship between the leads grows beautifully and organically. Great dialogue rich in subtext. The entire script has a nice feel."

Cynosure Screenwriting Competition

"The writer has a great style and the screenplay has excellent commercial potential."

Creative World Awards

"Tone and character are quite well captured in writing that showcases very good dialogue. Enjoyable rapport between the father and sons!"

Robin Richesson - Storyboard Artist / Illustrator:

Mad Men - American Beauty - The Romanoffs

Vito's directorial debut - the documentary short "Jennifer Wants a Baby" won the "Award of Merit" at the Indie Fest of La Jolla, CA, the "Best of the Fest" award at the CMG Film Festival of Los Angeles, and was an Official Selection at both The International Film Festival of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles and The Green Bay Film Festival.

While studying screenwriting and direction in Los Angeles, Vito was one of the rare film students invited to study at the Acting Conservatory on campus based on his professionalism and acting ability - an invitation which hadn't been extended to a film student in over twenty years.
- IMDb mini biography by: Topalina