William Szarka is a film industry professional who began his career at the tender age of eleven, creating super 8 movies. By the time he was sixteen, he had already won top honors in The Kodak Teenage Movie Awards, impressing judges with his parody of "The Godfather" titled "The Grandfather". This achievement caught the attention of Frank Yablans, then President of Paramount Pictures, who offered Szarka a job at a prestigious New York film editing house.
At the editing house, Szarka honed his skills in cutting movie trailers, TV commercials, and music videos. He then went on to write, produce, and direct his first feature film, "South Bronx Heroes", starring Mario Van Peebles. The film received a successful opening in New York and Los Angeles, earning a spot on Variety's List of 50 Top Grossing Films in its opening week.
Szarka's Godfather-inspired roots led him to create a 14-minute parody titled "The Godson", starring James Madio. Martin Scorsese, a fan of the film, played a key role in getting it screened at the Sundance Film Festival, as well as the USA and Cleveland International Film Festivals.
In addition to his narrative work, Szarka has also produced and directed two feature-length documentaries, "Animals" and "The Untold Christmas Story", which explores the behind-the-scenes making of the iconic movie "A Christmas Story".
Currently, Szarka is researching and writing a mini-series titled "REBELS", which delves into the lives of James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo, and the making of "Rebel Without a Cause". The pilot episode of the series was voted one of the Top 20 Semi-Finalists in the 2024 Big Break Contest.
For more information and reviews, visit William Szarka's profile on LinkedIn.
