Joe Forte is a multi-talented individual, credited as the creator and writer of the 2006 film Firewall, which stars Harrison Ford, Paul Bettany, and Virginia Madsen. He has also directed the documentary The Man Who Saved Ben-Hur, which premiered at the Hot Springs Film Festival and is currently streaming on Amazon.
In his current projects, Forte is working on Girl In A Box for A&E, Old Country for MGM, and BackTrack for Sony, all co-written with his wife, Meg LeFauve, who is also a screenwriter and producer, known for her work on Inside Out and Captain Marvel.
Forte's journey in the film industry began at New York University's film school, where he honed his skills as a screenwriter. His early success included the sale of Soviet Cowboy, an original screenplay he wrote for Jodie Foster's production company, Egg Pictures. He went on to sell The Great Mahala to Warner Bros. Pictures and rewrite The Murderer Next Door for Sony Pictures, which subsequently signed him to a writing and directing deal.
Throughout his career, Forte has worked on various projects, including Velvet Underground, an independent feature developed with Charlize Theron; an adaptation of the novel Out by Natsuo Kirino; Flashpoint, an epic drama set in the world of wild land fire fighters; and multiple television pilot deals at Twentieth Century Fox.
Before transitioning to Hollywood, Forte worked in advertising agencies in both New York and Los Angeles, including stints at Scali, McCabe, Sloves, Saatchi & Saatchi, Foote, Cone, Belding, and Daily & Partners. During his time at Scali, he was nominated for a Clio award for his work on Volvo. He has also won several awards for his short films, including two Cine Golden Eagles and a grant from Mobil Oil.
As a mentor and teacher, Forte has served at various institutions, including Cinestory, Austin Film Festival, the UCLA Graduate Film Program, the UCLA Extension Program, the Sedona Film Festival, the Sonoma Film Festival, Pitch Fest U.S.A., California State University Channel Islands, and Film Victoria and New South Wales, the film funding bodies for the government of Australia. He has also been featured in the documentary Tales of the Script and is the producer of the award-winning festival film, Say I Do.
Forte is a Film Independent Fellow and lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.
