Eric Raddatz(I)

Eric Raddatz, born in Joliet, Il., wet his feet in the silver screen while working on the set of "Stir of Echoes" as an extra alongside the well known actor. After working in movies such as "Rookie of the Year,' "Just Visiting," "Stuck on You," "Pledge This," and television shows such as "ER" he decided to start writing, producing and directing films of his own. "A Day to Love and Die," his first short scenic conspiracy thriller, premiered in Fort Myers and screened at the New York Film and Video Festival. His second film "Barely a Chance," premiered in Fort Myers and screened at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival the same year. He more recently has worked on creating an indie television series he also hosts as well as producing and directing short films.

Raddatz, who has had a lifelong love affair with the arts has spent much of his career in visual journalism. "My career has seen so many different outlets and tasted so many flavors in the last two decades, from my early years taking an apprenticeship right out of high school to master the skills necessary to produce a Chicago newspaper to designing online, multimedia, film, music, web, print packages and full cinematic productions, to founding the Naples International Film Festival and bringing it to successful fruition as executive director in 2009, and then the Fort Myers Film Festival in 2010. Being involved in filmmaking is truly one of my greatest passions."

Raddatz is also multi award-winning presentation editor/ artistic director for Florida Weekly, the largest circulating newsweekly in Southwest Florida, and regular contributor for NBC, ABC and iHeart in Fort Myers. He is the host of Fort Myers Film Festival's indie film show "T.G.I.M."