John Pata is a filmmaker living in Wisconsin and the owner of Head Trauma Productions.

Even though he went to school for graphic design, Pata decided to make his first short film during his last year of college. Upon graduating, he started a screen-printing shop that he co-owned for two-and-a-half years before selling his share of it in 2010 to help fund his first feature film. Since entering the world of filmmaking with no formal training or education, just his strong DIY-ethics, Pata has been an editor (The Stylist, Bug Bites), producer and co-writer (Gags The Clown), and post-production supervisor (Revealer). Pata finally returned to the director’s chair to helm Black Mold, which premiered at Panic Fest 2023 and won both Best Indie Feature and Best Actress (Agnes Albright). Pata’s work has been screened at festivals all over the world including the Fantasia International Film Festival, Sitges Film Festival, and Fantastic Fest.

He really likes punk rock, ska, Stephen King, and burritos.