Michael Arata Biography

Fast Facts

• His first film as a producer, 1989's "Looking for Someone", gained widespread acclaim and was awarded the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short at the Utah Short Film Festival
• Named the chairman of the Bring Back New Orleans Commission established by the city council after Hurricane Katrina
• Co-founded Art A La Carte, one of the nation's only community theater programs specifically designed for disabled participants
• Once served as a chairman of the Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre, North America's oldest operating community theater
• Played football at Tulane University where he would later also graduate with a law degree
• Produced Shakespeare in the Park at New Orleans' only outdoor theatre prior to Hurricane Katrina
• Co-founded Voodoo Productions which is based in his hometown of New Orleans