Paul Borghese has extensive experience as an accomplished Actor, Director, Producer and Distribution Executive.  By the 1990’s, some of the almost two-dozen feature films he played an active producing and/or distribution role in by that year were George Romero’s Document of the Dead, Beatle George Harrison’s Wonderwall, Fatal Secret starring David Carradine, A Time to Remember starring Donald O’Connor, Prisoners of Inertia starring Amanda Plummer and John McGinley, Destiny to Order with Michael Ironside, Good Night Sweet Marilyn,  Fright House starring Al Lewis, and Lady Terminatoramong others.

Between 1990 and 1995 Paul Associate Produced and served as Casting Director for five independent feature films including Perfect Lies and New York Nights. He also began developing what later proved to be award winning documentary filmmaking style and skills by producing and directing a number of fast paced, slick and cinema verite’ style MTV spring break and Jamaica Hedonism Resort type productions for both Playboy and Playgirl video promotions just to keep busy, but which proved great experience in leading him into bigger and better, more mainstream projects, and to eventually becoming an award winning documentary and independent feature filmmaker. Several of those productions were collaborations with early episodes of the HBO Real Sex series.   

Oliver Stone and Columbia Pictures then recognized Paul’s talents as a filmmaker and hired him to contribute to a montage segment in the Academy Award nominated, The People vs. Larry Flynt, as a segment director/producer. 

Mr. Borghese went on to write, produce and direct a feature-length film documentary, The Canadian Ballet, which screened at film festivals internationally and won numerous honors including Best Performance Arts Documentary at the New York International & Independent Film Festival, A Finalist Award at the Long Island Film Festival, Best Feature Length Documentary at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival and the Director’s Achievement Award at the Narrowsburg International Independent Film Festival.  The film screened at the Angelika Film Center and at both the Robert DeNiro owned Screening Room on Varick Street in New York City and at the Tribeca Film Center.  The film was later re-released as Dancing For Dollars.

Mr. Borghese co-wrote, co-produced and directed the Mob genre feature film Four Deadly Reasonsin1999. This film was completed in 2002 and won the Back East Best Buzz Award at the Back East Picture Show Film Festival in Hoboken, NJ, The Low Budget Genius Award at the Silver Street International Film Festival, the “Best of Fest” feature film at the Putnam Valley Film Festival and it screened at the Los Angeles Italian American Filmmakers Awards and at Robert DeNiro’s Tribeca Film Center on opening night of the Tribeca Film Festival. 

Currently Mr. Borghese is collaborating and writing several screenplays.  One with childhood friend and now successful screen actor Michael Rispoli. A warm-hearted Italian themed comedy, The Brothers Barbieri.  The others are a spoof comedy titled GhostFellas and On the Lam, a project thatcan be described as City Slickersmeets My Cousin Vinny.  He is co-writing with good friend Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan, Flags of our Fathers) who he met on the set of the HBO made for TV movie 61* of which they worked on together. Paul also wrote and plans to produce Agida, a pizza comedy. Agida can be best described as Moonstruck meets Do The Right Thing on a Big Night.  It will be produced as either a feature film or a pilot for a television series.  Mr. Borghese directed a feature film that he Co-wrote the screenplay for, Searching For Bobby D (as in DeNiro), Starring Carmen Electra.  The film has won numerous film festival honors including Best Comedy and Audience favorite at the Long Island Film Festival, the Moondance Film Festival, the Big Apple Film Festival and the New York Atlas Film Festival among others.  In 2006 Mr. Borghese produced and directed a television presentation pilot titled Dinner with The FoodFellas, of which he was the creator of and is currently being shopped to networks.  It stars four Sopranos cast members including Lorraine Bracco and Vincent Pastore.  He went on to co-write the screenplay adaptation of the book MOB OVER MIAMI which he re-titled Unmade Manand will be CO-Producing. He recently directed the trailer for SouthPaw, and three television Pilots; a reality makeover show “Geek To Guido”, YOU GOT WHACKED; Gangsters & Pranksters and Sit Down.  2009 had Paul CO-Producing Lost Island starring Damian Chapa, Vincent Pastore and Tony Darrow and directing a short film titled Alienated. In 2010 Paul will direct the feature film Goat which he co-wrote the screenplay for with William DeMeo.

Mr. Borghese recently produced the revival of Louis LaRusso’s Lamppost Reunion, starring Vincent Pastore, (who was also Mr. Borghese’s producing partner), to 17 sold out performances and is currently producing Tony Darrow LIVE! – a  one-man comedy show opening on April 2nd, 2009 at the Triad Theatre in NYC.  He is also CO-Producing the off broadway one-man show Blood Type Ragu that is currently running at the Actor’s Playhouse in NYC.

Mr. Borghese’s off-Broadway acting credits include William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Arsenic and Old Laceand stage performances with the Italian American Repertory Company.  He has appeared in films such as Air Boss I & 2, Belly, Summer of Samand Keeping it Real.  His television credits include Without A Trace, As The World Turns, the ABC mini-series Witness To The Mob, Saturday Night Live, The Conan O’Brien Show, an appearance in the award-winning hit HBO series The Sopranos, Law and Order and Law and Order: SVU and played a recurring role on NBC’s Third Watch and most notably has portrayed New York Yankee baseball hall of famer Yogi Berra in the HBO original film 61*which was nominated for 12 Emmy Awards and won several. 61* was directed by Billy Crystal.  Mr. Borghese recently played roles in the independent feature films The Reality Trap, The Drum Beats Twice, Transamerica with Desperate Housewive’s Felicity Huffman, Crystal Visions, Aftermath with Anthony Michael Hall, Little Manhattan with Sex and the City’s Cynthia Nixon and The Babysitters with John Leguizamo.He recently appeared in the Pilot for the Network TV series  Kidnapped .  He recently had several national commercials running.  One for Stackers 2, which frequently aired on the WWE Smackdown show and one for the New York State Lottery (Triple 7’s).  Paul appeared with Tony Sirico who played Paulie Walnuts on The Sopranos in the Stackers commercial and with Sopranos cast member Dan Grimaldi in the 777’s Lottery commercial.  Paul also recently appeared in a supporting role as Gino Mascarpone in Find Me Guilty, starring Vin Diesel and directed by Sidney Lumet.  He recently appeared in the ESPN miniseries The Bronx is Burning.  Paul just completed playing the comedic role of Spats in the indie film Delilah Rose, and a role in American Woman with Frank Vincent and as a businesman; George in Under New Management.  Paul just completed playing a role in the feature film Julie and Julia which stars Meryl Streep and was directed by Nora Ephron, a supporting role in Jackie Mason’s One Angry Man and  the leading role in the Indie Vito Bonafacci.  He also recently played a role in the 42nd Street Don.

Currently involved in producing for and contributing to original programming for a new English-speaking High Definition Italian American themed cable channel about to be launched, Mr. Borghese is also very active within the Italian American community.  Paul was elected National President of GIAA, the Guild of Italian American Actors in 1998 when he initiated rebuilding and reinventing the fading talent union.  When he was inducted into office the union held a membership of just 68 actors.  By 2001, just several years later, under his leadership membership increased by 700% and included over 500 Italian American writers, producers, directors, actors and singers.  www.nygiaa.org

Paul is an over twenty-five year active member of the Order Sons of Italy in America.  He has served on various committees and has chaired several successful OSIA fundraising events.  He also served on the Advisory Board for the Italian American Short Film Festival series along with John Turturro and Al Pacino.  He is also Co- Producer and Narrator for a documentary titled “ Beyond Wiseguys; Italian Americans and the movies” of which John Turturro is Executive Producing and Marisa Tomei, Isabella Rosellini, Susan Sarandon, Chazz Palminteri, Paul Sorvino, Stanley Tucci, Dominic Chianese, Martin Scorsese and Ben Gazara all appear among other famous Italian American actors. Spike Lee, a friend of Mr. Borghese’s, appears in the doc as well.

Alan Hevesi, former Comptroller of the City of New York and once mayoral candidate, invited Paul to join the NYC Italian American Advisory Council, which addresses issues affecting the Italian American Community in Manhattan.  Mr. Hevesi stated in his letter of request for participation by Paul that, “as a leader of the Italian American Community, Paul’s participation in the council would be invaluable.”  In March of 2000, Paul was formally recognized along with Dominic Chianese of The Sopranos who was honored by the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation.  Paul presented an award to his friend and fellow GIAA board member Mr. Chianese and was himself recognized for his contributions, achievements and accomplishments.  In November of 2000, Paul was honored by the Manitoba, Canada Italian Chamber of Commerce and in December of 2000 by recommendation of Supreme Court Judge Dominic Massaro, was invited a member of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations.  In 2001 The National Italian American Foundation presented Paul an award for promoting and portraying positive images of Italian Americans in the entertainment industry. In September of 2003 Paul was honored along with fellow Italian Americans in the arts Lorraine Bracco and Michael Rispoli by Camp Venture and in October of 2003 Paul was honored and bestowed a Role Model Award by the Columbus Alliance Association, the oldest Italian American Organization in the country.  Chaz Palminteri was bestowed the same honor the year prior in the Bronx at the famous Gino’s.