Joseph R. Granato is an award-winning filmmaker, poet and author.

At age 16, Joseph wrote and directed his first original film, Feast of Friends, a 20-minute coming-of-age drama about a disillusioned youth whose string of bad decisions begin to alienate his friends, causing him to sink deeper and deeper into depression, culminating in a stirring finale where his fate – will he overcome, or succumb to, his despair – is revealed. Since then, he has written, produced and directed more than a dozen short films.

Joseph attended the University of Central Florida’s Nicholson School of Communication and Media (B.F.A., Film, 2000). His thesis project Tulpenwoede, a satire on mass hysteria inspired by true events (the title comes from the 17th century Dutch phrase meaning ‘tulip madness’ or ‘tulip rage’) was selected to open the 2000 UCF Annual Student Film Festival at Disney’s MGM Studios in Orlando. One year later, Joseph received the ‘Best Director Award’ at the 2001 West Palm Beach Film Festival for his short film A Rare Case of Rejection.

Joseph also earned a law degree from St. Thomas University College of Law (Juris Doctor, 2006) and has 15+ years of professional experience, including 10+ years in communications and marketing.

Joseph has been writing poetry, short stories and screenplays since he was a teenager. His debut novel, Cemetery Tales, was published in 2015. He also has publishing credits in several books of poetry including the Best Poetry of 2001 and the Best Poetry of 2002 by the International Society of Poets, Theatre of the Mind by Noble House Publishers (2003) as well as the International Who’s Who in Poetry 2012 by Poetry Productions. Published in 2016, Joseph’s collection of poetry, Complications, spans more than twenty years of writing. Joseph is currently working on a new novel, while also assembling a collection of stories, essays and screenplays in a soon to be published eBook entitled A Dark Place Born, among other projects.

Joseph is also very active in his community, having served for several years as Committee Chair for the local BSA Cub Scouts Pack, and as Assistant Coach with Fairfax Little League of Virginia. Joseph is also a dedicated supporter and member of the American Film Institute.

Joseph was born in New York, but he ‘grew up’ in Miami, his home for more than 25 years. 

Cemetery Tales is available from Apple iBooks, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and other popular eBook retailers.

Joseph’s poetry anthology, Complications, is available from Apple iBooks, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and other popular eBook retailers.

If you are interested in learning more about Joseph’s work contact him at joegranato@msn.com.

© Joseph R. Granato, 2026