Dito Montiel went from punk rocker to briefly a boxer, then a Versace/Calvin Klein model. His band Gutterboy signed a record deal with Geffen, followed by a period of homelessness. He rebounded by writing A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS, which became a film starring Robert Downey Jr., launching his directing career.

His latest film, RIFF RAFF, follows a former criminal whose ordinary life is turned upside down when his old family shows up for a long-awaited reunion.

In this interview, we talk about his approach to writing, working with actors, the importance of writing strong characters even for smaller roles, and his new film RIFF RAFF.

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