Stephen Keep Mills, a talented individual with a rich background in the entertainment industry, made his exit from the esteemed Yale Drama School in the spring of 1969, where he had the privilege of studying under the guidance of the renowned Stella Adler.
After leaving Yale, Mills went on to perform on regional stages across the United States and Canada for an impressive twenty years, appearing in both on and Off-Broadway productions, as well as guest-starring in multiple episodic TV shows and Movies of the Week.
However, the 1980 Actors strike proved to be a pivotal moment in Mills' career, as he was shut out from the series "Flo" and was forced to turn to the stage, but instead of acting, he took on a new challenge by directing for the first time, receiving rave reviews in the LA Times.
This marked the beginning of Mills' journey as a director, and he went on to write, direct, and produce independently, eventually making his mark on the film industry.
In 2003, Mills' film "Hotel Lobby", inspired by Edward Hopper's painting, premiered on the festival circuit and received critical acclaim, followed by two award-winning shorts, "A Cigar at the Beach" in 2005, and "LIMINAL" in 2008.
Mills' debut feature, "Love Is Not Love", premiered at Cinequest in 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic turned the festival world virtual. The film went on to screen at 125 festivals, winning over 170 awards, and is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime, Fandango at Home, YouTube, and Google Play, with Random Media serving as the distributor.
Mills' latest project is the screen adaptation of Italian playwright Ugo Betti's 1947 stage play "Ispezione", retitled "¡Contesta!", which tells the story of a civil war in 20th century Mexico. The play has been translated into both Spanish and English and is set to make a significant impact on the film industry.
