At the tender age of sixteen, Shane Stanley had already made a significant impact in the entertainment industry, receiving his first Emmy Award for his work on the television film "Desperate Passage" (1987),which starred the renowned Michael Landon. Over the subsequent years, he continued to hone his filmmaking skills under the guidance of his father, Lee Stanley, on the "Desperate Passage Series" (1988-1995),a self-produced series that garnered an impressive thirty-three Emmy nominations, ultimately winning thirteen, as well as numerous Christopher Awards and CINE Golden Eagles.
This notable series, which starred notable actors such as Sharon Gless, Edward James Olmos, Marlo Thomas, and Louis Gossett Jr., cemented Shane's reputation as a talented and ambitious filmmaker. In 1994, the Stanleys' feature film, "Street Pirates" (1994),made a significant impact, earning two CINE Golden Eagle Awards for best feature documentary and film editing.
In 2001, Shane took the next step in his career by launching Visual Arts Entertainment, his own production company. This venture led to the creation of notable films such as "Gridiron Gang" (2006),starring Dwayne Johnson and Xzibit, and the critically acclaimed independent film "A Sight for Sore Eyes" (2004),featuring Academy Award nominee Gary Busey. Notably, "A Sight for Sore Eyes" marked Shane's directorial debut and went on to win several prestigious awards, including the Gold Special Jury Award at Worldfest Houston, Best Dramatic Short Film at the International Family Film Festival, a Telly Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film and Television, and two Aurora Awards for writing and directing.
The film's success was further solidified by its invitation to compete at the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival. Shane's directing credits also include "Mistrust," starring two-time Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Jane Seymour, "Break Even," featuring Tasya Teles, Steve Guttenberg, and Golden Globe nominee Joanna Pacula, which he also produced with Adam Kane (Prodigal Son, 24: Live Another Day, Heroes).
Shane's most recent endeavors include producing and directing the action-comedy "Double Threat," starring Matthew Lawrence and Dawn Olivieri (Yellowstone, 1883). This film received widespread critical acclaim, with The New York Times listing it among their Top 5-Action Movies to Stream Now. "Double Threat" also enjoyed significant commercial success, ranking #4 on Amazon Prime's "Top 10 in the US" list and remaining there for several weeks. The film's global success was further solidified by its ranking #1 in 16/17 countries on Netflix's world-wide charts during its debut week and its inclusion on the platform's Top-10 most watched films in the summer of 2024.
Shane's action-thriller "Night Train," starring Danielle C. Ryan and Diora Baird, premiered on HULU, where it reached #1 on the platform and remained in the top spot for an astonishing four weeks. This gripping tale of a single mom struggling to make ends meet as a Hollywood teamster, who evades capture by a ruthless FBI Agent while running black market medical supplies in her legendary souped-up pickup truck, also stars Joe Lando, Ivan Sergei, and Joseph D. Reitman.
