About the Writer/Producer

 

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Scriptwriter / Producer
James Petulla

Drawing on experiences from his own youth as a championship wrestler, script writer/producer James Petulla has crafted a gritty, realistic picture of the sport of high school wrestling, set in a small east coast town.

photo of Dan Gable with James
Producer James Petulla with wrestling legend Dan Gableat the NCAA’s in New York. James is considering a movie on Dan’s life story, and is currently negotiating a development deal with ESPN original programming on sports-related films using real athletes.

Working from his own background added an integrity to the project that director Alan Vint spotted the first time he read Petulla’s script. “Alan helped me polish it and tighten up the story line,” says Petulla, “but from the very beginning, he was impressed by the honesty of it.”

Although the script is Petulla’s first writing project, he is by no means a stranger to the entertainment industry. After high school, he worked for seven years as a radio DJ, then joined the ranks at the illustrious Columbia School of Broadcasting, where he quickly rose to a vice-presidency.

photo of Dan Gable with James

James with 2000 Olympic wrestling gold-medallistBrandan Slay (who may be in James’s next film).

Petulla also produced a series of films on Elvis and the “Memphis Mafia” called “All The Kings Men” that were distributed by Barber Langley Productions.

For the last 18 years, James has headed up his own company, Career Connection, which trains and places people in media positions, including radio, television, film, and recording engineering, among others.