PAT BATTISTINI

The writer/director/editor of over ten short films is a native of Merrillville, Indiana. Pat began his career as an actor at the Player’s Workshop of the Second City in Chicago. He continued working in improvisation and eventually performed in over 500 improv shows. Pat suffered having to work for Club Med in their Entertainment Department in places such as St. Lucia, Thailand and Tahiti. Continuing to have fun in Asia, Pat moved to Tokyo where he collaborated with an all Japanese comedy group for two years performing in the Japanese language.

Only making sense, he moved to Miami after his Tokyo gig, where he started his filmmaking career. Pat finally made his way to Los Angeles in the fall of ’98.

In LA, he has written and produced several short films. His shorts “Sexy Seniors”, “Braggin’ Rights”, and “Three Specials” have all been nominated to at least one film festival as a finalist to their Grand Jury Award. “Lincoln Vs. Bush has been viewed over 81,000 times and has been shown, in controversy, in several other festivals. His short, “Legs To Stand On”, dealing with the disabled, received a Special Recognition Award at the Los Angeles Italian American Film Awards.

Pat’s current project is his most challenging. He shot a period piece short film in the northern mountains of Italy. Not fluent in Italian, Pat decided to shoot the film in the Italian language because he felt his story could only be told using the language of the time.

Pat resides in Santa Clarita with his wife Marnie and his two children, Maggie (10) and Burke (5).

JORGE BALBAS

Jorge Balbás grew up in Madrid, Spain. He moved to the US in 1992 for professional flight training. While working as a commercial pilot and flight instructor in Southern California, he obtained a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics at UCLA in 2000, and a PhD in Mathematics in 2004, also at UCLA. He spent the next three years at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor as a post-doc, and returned to Southern California in 2007 to join the mathematics department at California State University, Northridge, where he is an Associate Professor. Since August of 2015, he works as Associate Director at the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics, located in the UCLA campus.

In 2008, Jorge started competing in triathlon races. Since then, he has completed several olympic distance and long course triathlons, qualifying for the US Age Group Nationals every year since 2011. In July 2010 he swam across the strait of Gibraltar, and has also run the LA marathon in 2014 and 2016. He enjoys bike touring and has traveled over 900 miles along roads in Northern Spain over the last two summers.

FISHER FIFTEEN

When Fisher Fifteen walks into a room, it’s like a preacher has come to give a life changing sermon. He delivers a familiar presence like an old friend you haven’t seen in years. From the first strike of his guitar chord to the last barrage of soaring vocal melodies packaged neatly in a voice that carries a lushness and texture all it’s own. Bringing his vast background of influence and an array of thought-provoking original love songs, He has a way of speaking to your soul just where it is. Always celebrating our differences and yet forging common ground through songs like “Walls”. From his latest release.” I love the way a song takes on a life of her own. Fisher Explains, “She begins to speak to me with chords and words , then concepts and conclusions. If I don’t pay close attention, I won’t be able to complete her thought”.A native son of San Jose ,California, raised on radio of the 70’s and 80’s Fisher has a unique repertoire of covers that may surprise even the most knowledgeable history buff with classic rock anthems to memorable R&B staples. Always giving a new interpretation to an old favorite.

From the coffee house to the coliseum, Fisher can bring his performance to a very intimate place with some tongue & cheek lyrics and improvisational songs. Over the years, Fisher has played across the country,in places like California, Nebraska, Louisiana , the Carolinas, Alaska and Japan. He has shared the stage with such rock acts as P.O.D , and Switchfoot and performed with R&B sensations , ALL 4 ONE ,Drew Seeley, Brian Mcknight and Wayne Brady.