Biography
Antonio Negret graduated Summa Cum Laude from the USC School of Cinema Television, with a minor from the USC School of Theatre, where he earned multiple scholarships.
His debut feature, "Towards Darkness," premiered in competition at the esteemed Tribeca Film Festival. The film explores 90 minutes in the life of a kidnapped hostage, capturing the frustration experienced by his family, a special ops team, and the man responsible for delivering the ransom as they race to save him. It features Emmy and Golden Globe winner America Ferrera (Ugly Betty, How To Train Your Dragon), Tony Plana (Goal, 187), and David Sutcliffe (Gilmore Girls, Private Practice). At Tribeca, Peace Arch Entertainment and MGM acquired distribution rights. Following this, The Hollywood Reporter recognized Negret as one of their 'Top 10 Latino Directors to Watch.'
After "Towards Darkness," Negret developed the screenplay for "Operation Checkmate," a Screen Gems thriller about the true rescue of Ingrid Betancourt. He also directed two feature films: "Seconds Apart" and "Transit." "Seconds Apart," produced by After Dark Films and released by Lionsgate, stars Orlando Jones (Runaway Jury, Evolution) as a detective investigating a series of mysterious deaths linked to a pair of twins.
"Transit" stars Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, The Count of Monte Cristo), James Frain (Tron: Legacy, True Blood), Harold Perrineau (Lost, Romeo + Juliet), and Elisabeth Röhm (Heroes, Miss Congeniality 2). The film is executive produced by Joel Silver (Sherlock Holmes, The Matrix).
Early in his career, Negret directed several award-winning short films and helmed two seasons of the weekly television series "Not So Foreign Filmmakers Showcase," which featured sketches and interviews with celebrity guests including Virginia Madsen, Rosario Dawson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jay Hernandez, and Robert Rodriguez.
Negret has lived and worked in Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, England, and the United States, and continues to pursue bold and provocative filmmaking.
