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MARIA PUSATERI
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

Maria Pusateri is an award-winning director/producer who has studied acting and performed, eventually finding her niche behind the camera while working in television production. Her strong interest in film and television began in 1979 at Paramount Television in New York, where she was the assistant to the head of the advertising and promotion for worldwide syndication. During this time, she also developed her passion and talent for acting, while studying with legendary actor/director Bill Hickey at HB Studio.

Pusateri’s good instincts for image framing soon became evident, as part of her job was selecting promotional stills for Paramount’s hit TV series, such as Happy Days, Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley, Taxi, and Bosom Buddies. When the department moved to L.A. in 1981, she worked in Paramount’s theatrical field publicity department on films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Gallipoli, Reds, Ragtime, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and An Officer and a Gentleman, until she put her career on hold in 1982 to raise her family.

Pusateri returned to television in 1997 as executive assistant to the VP of Operations at Cablevision’s startup, MetroChannels. She was soon drawn to the production end of the business and eventually worked her way to becoming an associate producer for Unblinking Eye, where she produced and directed over 40 cultural arts programs covering literary, music and film events in New York City. Unblinking Eye shows included a wide range of subjects, from inner-city youth performing slam poetry to celebrity play readings to conversations with independent filmmakers to movie stars. She also produced a short piece after 9/11, where she interviewed people at the center of memorial activity at Union Square soon after the attacks.

Pusateri received her first two Communicator Awards for Unblinking Eye: WWOW Radio -The Adventures of Nero Wolfe, a vintage radio show re-creation. She also received an OMNI Award for Unblinking Eye: New York in the Fifties, a half-hour interview with documentary filmmaker Betsey Blakenbaker. In 2002, she earned a New York Emmy Award nomination for “Programming About the Arts” for Unblinking Eye: Food for Thought. The nominated play reading series featured Elaine Stritch, Judith Light, John Shea and others, and also received an OMNI Award and two Communicator Awards.

Pusateri’s filmmaking career was inspired by her brother-in-law Vito's 9/11 experiences. She was also influenced by Judith Helfand's critically-acclaimed film, Blue Vinyl. Helfand's film typified Pusateri's vision for her own filmmaking — exploration of people's intimate worlds through the social issues impacting their lives. Witnessing Vito's trauma and health issues impelled her to tell his story and make others aware of the problems faced by 9/11 rescue and recovery workers. In 2002, she began working on VITO AFTER, which she directed, wrote and produced. The film was an official selection at many film festivals from 2005 through 2008, received a Best Documentary award and the praises of audiences and critics alike. In 2010, VITO AFTER was selected to be part of a collection of 9/11 films in the library of the USS New York—the battleship forged with steel from the World Trade Center.

Maria has worked in various roles in independent film, including producer’s assistant for the romantic comedy feature SPLIT ENDS, directed by Dorothy Lyman, and production manager for the comedy short, KUNG FU GRANNY, written and directed by Myra Sito Velasquez.

Pusateri is a former board member of CineWomen NY, where she was programming director of the organization's monthly screening series at the Pioneer Theater in Manhattan, and organized events including CWNY’s awards night and networking soirees. She is currently a member of New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT) where she co-programs their screening series, CineWomen On Screen, at Anthology Film Archives, and has worked on NYWIFT’s documentary programming subcommittee.