Angelo Pizzo is an American screenwriter and film producer, usually working on films based on a true story, and usually about athletics. He is best known for Hoosiers and Rudy.

Biographie

Early life and education
Pizzo grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, the son of a Sicilian immigrant, and attended Indiana University where he received his bachelor degree in political science. Pizzo was originally going to become a lawyer, but his father encouraged him to do something he enjoyed. While at IU, Pizzo joined the Sigma Nu fraternity, where he met future collaborator David Anspaugh.

Pizzo later attended film school at the University of Southern California.


Career
Pizzo began his film/television career with Warner Brothers Television in the story development group, then moved to Time-Life Films. After serving as Vice President of Feature Film Productions there he worked with former fraternity brother Anspaugh to create Hoosiers, about a small-town Indiana high school winning the state basketball title. Hoosiers earned two Oscar Award nominations. It was named best sports film of all time by both ESPN and USA Today. It is also in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.

Later films include Rudy, about a young man with dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame; and The Game of Their Lives, about the U.S. Soccer Team beating the English team against all odds. Pizzo also was an associate producer on the made-for-TV movie Father Figure.

Pizzo is working on various projects, including a movie based on the life of baseball player Ricky Hill, and also serves on the boards of the Heartland Film Festival, Kinsey Institute, and the New Harmony Writers’ Project.