Background
Chad Hartigan was born in Nicosia, Cyprus in 1982. His father is a businessman from Limerick, Ireland, and his mother is a teacher from Sparks, Nevada.
Chad Hartigan was born in Nicosia, Cyprus in 1982. His father is a businessman from Limerick, Ireland, and his mother is a teacher from Sparks, Nevada.
He attended Tallwood High School in Virginia Beach from 1996-2000 and became heavily involved in theater and video production. He graduated and was accepted to the one and only college he applied for, the North Carolina School of the Arts.
He attended the filmmaking program there and graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in directing and was roommates with Aaron Katz. In 2006, he appeared in Katz"s first film, Dance Party United States of America, as Sam. His first feature as director, Luke and Brie Are on a First Date, premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival in 2008 and went on to spawn a Latin American remake in 2013 called "Luna en Leo."
lieutenant was also screened at the 2013 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Stockholm International Film Festival, and Torino Film Festival.
In 2014, it was awarded the John Cassavetes Award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
In 2005 he beat hundreds of other contestants to win the title of "Ultimate Film Fanatic" on the International Finance Corporation game show of the same name. His second feature, This is Martin Bonner, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013 where it won the Best of Next Audience Award. His third feature, Morris from America, premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival in the United States. Dramatic Competition where Hartigan was awarded the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.
