Parish Malfitano

Parish Malfitano is an Italian-Australian writer, director, producer, and founder of Fantasma Picture House.

A graduate of the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS), he holds both a Foundation Diploma and a Bachelor of Arts in Screen.

Parish was an Assistant Editor on “Dead Hands Dig Deep” (Dir. Jai Love), a haunting feature documentary examining depravity and deep-rooted mental illness. The documentary was highly successful on the festival circuit, notably gaining acceptance into Slamdance, Sydney Underground Film Festival, Dark Mofo, Revelation Fest, and Monster Fest.

Within just a few years of graduating, Parish wrote, directed, and co-produced his debut feature, “Bloodshot Heart,” which esteemed critic Adrian Martin described as a “national rarity.” Despite the worldwide disruption caused by the pandemic, this feature has screened at numerous film festivals globally, including its Australian premiere at Revelation Perth International Film Festival, Fantaspoa Film Festival, Cinefantasy Brazil, Chattanooga Film Festival, Salento International Film Festival, Curtas Festival do Imaxinario, Macabro Mexico City, Fantastic Film Festival Australia, Shanghai International Film Festival, Cinequest LA, and Dances With Films Festival LA at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The film also had a cinema run at the Ritz in Sydney, the Lido in Melbourne, and various regional cities around Australia, and also streamed on SBS On Demand, one of Australia’s major national broadcast stations.

Parish directed an opera music video featuring Soprano Imogen-Faith Malfitano, showcasing his versatility and ambition to explore diverse artistic mediums. His long-term goals include writing new theatre pieces, librettos, and stage productions for opera, aiming to extend beyond the existing canon.

In 2023, he served as a programmer for the Fantastic Film Festival Australia.

Parish’s third feature, “Salt Along the Tongue,” a supernatural drama and semifinalist in Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope screenplay competition, is currently on the festival circuit. He is also developing his next feature film, “Sanctity of Flames.”