David Giardina, B.A. ’84

September 2007

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Find out what David's fondest Hofstra memory is... | more |

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David Giardina spent a good part of his childhood performing with various theater companies around Connecticut, including Oddfellows Playhouse (where he studied acting, script writing and directing, and more), Theatre First, Company 1 in Hartford, and the Alliance Theater Group in New Haven. In 1977 David was one of 100 teenagers from around the United States to participate in Center for Creative Youth, a residential arts program based at Wesleyan University. It was there that he first began making his first short experimental films.

After graduating from high school in 1980, David received a scholarship from Hofstra University and graduated with a B.A. in theater in 1984. From there it was off to New York City to pursue professional acting. He joined AFTRA and SAG and appeared in many productions through these unions, including As the World Turns, NY’s Most Wanted (he played the criminal of the week!), after-school specials for ABC and CBS, including Linda Lavin’s directorial debut, Flour Babies, as well as comic roles on the USA Network, appearing opposite Gilbert Gottfried. David has had many walk-on parts on the big screen, including films such as Regarding Henry, When Harry Met Sally and Moonstruck.

Since 1992 David has been living in Manhattan and dedicating himself to writing/directing/producing independent features. He was the assistant director on the feature Messenger by award-winning director Norman Loftis. In 1995 he directed, co-wrote and edited the horror homage to the classic monster films House of Monsters. The feature garnered praise from executives at Universal Studios and Sarah Karloff (yes, Boris’ daughter)!

In 2004 David wrote, directed and produced the psychological thriller Taffy Was Born, which won the Best Director Award at the New York International Independent Film Festival in Los Angeles and Audience Choice Award for Best Feature at the same festival in New York. It also received Honorable Mention for Best Feature at the Genesis Media Group Competition. Taffy Was Born was screened at the Cannes Film Festival Marché du Film and at the Forest Grove International Film Festival in Oregon.

David recently wrote a children’s novel, which he hopes to publish later this year. Another of David’s books, about the nature of health and the mythologies surrounding disease, is titled A Banana In My Pocket (but I’m still happy to see you). This book is available directly from the author.

David is writing another urban thriller film and is currently shooting his first documentary film with author Matthew Grace. Similar to David’s book, this documentary deals with the American Medical Association, the Food and Drug Administration, the pharmaceutical industry, and the Centers for Disease Control, and how these organizations influence what we know about health and disease.