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Two-time Emmy Award-nominated producer Phil Viardo's decades-long career in the entertainment industry spans several professional posts prior to him landing on filmmaking as his ultimate passion and focus. Viardo got an early rise working for big name corporate entertainment firms such as the Interpublic Group and BHI repping clients like Playboy Entertainment, Microsoft New Media and The Grammys, before branching out on his own with The Viardo Agency in 2001, representing such clients as Madonna's Maverick Films.
Viardo later expanded his operations to include production and talent management with the launch of Viardo Artists in 2009. Several years later, he partnered up with a veteran Emmy award-winning production company Tri-Crown Productions, making a major pivot to production and content creation. Over the following 6 years, Viardo was instrumental in growing the company's slate with numerous non-scripted and narrative projects, that include several award-winning television series for ABC, The CW, WEtv, A+E, FYI, National Geographic and Univision among others.
To date, Phil has been responsible for creating a slate of dozens of documentary, non-fiction and scripted projects. He is the executive producer of a critically acclaimed animated feature film "The Inventor", from the Oscar-nominated writer/director, Jim Capobianco ("Ratatouille"), starring Stephen Frye, Daisy Ridley and Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard, currently playing in theaters around the globe and on VOD. Viardo is also the EP for the upcoming feature film "Hellfire Club," written by Jeffrey Hatcher ("The Duchess"), produced by Brian Oliver ("Top Gun: Maverick"). In 2019, Viardo released "Public Enemy Number One," a social issue feature doc, co-produced with the legendary Ice T, released through Gravitas Ventures. The film took top honors at numerous film festivals and is currently available on most major streaming platforms. Years of expanding creativity have also brought Viardo behind the camera, where he has now directed projects for Syfy/Hulu, Oxygen and Univision, as well as several independent film and television projects.
In a quest to take his creative endeavors to the next level, Viardo teamed up with long-time friend and associate, American TV icon Christopher Knight to launch Former Prodigy Media in late 2019. Out of the gate, the company landed numerous network development deals and began building a robust slate of documentary and scripted TV and film projects.
In 2023, Former Prodigy released their debut feature documentary "Truelove: The Film" about a rare genetic disorder called Williams syndrome, that among others, won Best Documentary: Audience Choice Award at the 2022 Beverly Hills Film Festival. The film, directed by Viardo, is now streaming on most major streaming platforms around the globe. Also currently in pre-production are independent feature films "Monstrosity," horror thriller "Toxic," coming-of-age drama "The Heart Will Break" and action comedy thriller "The Empresario". FPM documentary projects include series "History Unchained" and "Mausoleum Men," as well as a slate of dramatic and documentary series projects in development, including Limited True-Crime Doc series "House With No Walls," directed by Vadim Perelman ("House of Sand and Fog"), and a action thriller series set in the world of kite sports titled "Love & The Wind."
