Personal info
Known for
Director
Gender
Male
Birthday
26 July
Location
New York, United States
Edit pageDito Montiel
Biography
Dito Montiel (born July 26, 1965, in New York City) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, author, and musician. He grew up in Astoria, Queens, and became involved in the New York hardcore punk music scene during the 1980s. He was a member of the bands Major Conflict and Gutterboy, the latter of which signed a record deal with Geffen Records in 1989.
In 2003, he published his memoir A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, based on his experiences growing up in Astoria. He adapted the book into a film of the same name (2006), making his directorial debut. The film, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Shia LaBeouf, received the Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
He subsequently directed films including Fighting (2009), The Son of No One (2011), Empire State (2013), Boulevard (2014), Man Down (2015), The Clapper (2017), Critical Thinking (2020) and Riff Raff (2024). He has also worked as a screenwriting instructor at UCLA Extension.
