Bio of Barbara R. Nicolosi — Executive Director, Act One, Inc.
Originally from Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Barbara R. Nicolosi has an M.A. in Television and Film from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, and a B.A. from the Great Books Program at Magdalen College in Warner, NH. She is an adjunct professor of screenwriting at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, CA.
Ms. Nicolosi is the founding Director of Act One, Inc, a non-profit training and formation program for Hollywood writers and executives. Now in its sixth year, Act One keynotes artistry, professionalism, ethics and Christian spirituality. A screenwriter herself, Ms. Nicolosi wrote The Work, for IMMI Pictures in Hollywood, and is co-writing Myriam with Benedict Fitzgerald (The Passion of the Christ) for a Beverly Hills production company.
Ms. Nicolosi was the Director of Project Development at Paulist Productions in Los Angeles, CA for two years. From 1996 to 1999, she was the Coordinator of Open Call, a fellowship and formation organization for Catholics in the entertainment industry. Ms. Nicolosi has been a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, and a judge for the Humanitas Prize. She has been a Film Juror for the Gabriel Awards, and served on the Blue Ribbon Jury for the Angelus Awards Student Film Festival.
Ms. Nicolosi has produced several plays with the critically acclaimed Actors Co-op Theater Company in Hollywood, including award-wining productions of Fools by Neil Simon, Shaw's The Devil's Disciple, and Shakespeare’s As You Like It.
A media columnist for the National Catholic Register, Ms. Nicolosi was the recipient of Catholic Press Awards in 2000 and 2002. She is the co-editor with Spencer Lewerenz of the 2005 Baker Books publication, Behind the Screen: Hollywood Insiders on Faith, Film and Culture. Her articles have appeared in many periodicals including Liguorian, Christian Single, Catholic Parent, Religion Teachers Journal, Leaves, Christianity and the Arts, Crisis, Catholic Answer and Canticle. Miss Nicolosi has been featured in a variety of mainstream media including CBS, NPR, Newsweek and the New York Times.
Miss Nicolosi serves on the Executive Committee of the City of the Angels Film Festival, and is on the board of Catholics in Media. She teaches theology and spirituality to converts from the entertainment industry and frequently lectures on screenwriting and film spirituality at writer’s forums throughout the United States.
