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In much the same way that director George A. Romero creative output has been primarily centered around the highly successful "Dead" series of zombie films, then fellow fantasy director Don Coscarelli has for over two decades seen his universe swirling around the lesser successful, but equally cult, and much loved "Phantasm" series of horror movies.

Coscarelli was born in Tripoli in North Africa, but raised around Southern California, and was interested in the cinema from a young age and together with his friends they made several low budget movies that aired on community TV stations to very positive feedback.

After a low key start with his first feature film embracing the trials of a young teenager caught in a world of alcoholic abuse Jim, the World's Greatest (1975), Coscarelli followed this up with a lighter comedic tale about another youngster and his view of the world as an impressionable 12 year old in Kenny & Company (1976). However, the imaginative Coscarelli then really hit the (horror) big time with the 1979 release of the highly inventive fright thriller Phantasm (1979). Once again, a young boy is at the center of a spine-chilling story about a creepy funeral home, a sinister Tall Man (wonderful acting by Coscarelli's long time buddy Angus Scrimm), disappearing corpses, malignant dwarfs and a gateway into a hellish, other world dimension. Shot on a very modest budget, Phantasm (1979) was hotly received by horror fans worldwide, and the film has since spawned three sequels...each fairly decent in their own right! First up was the gorier Phantasm II (1988), followed by Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994), and the third sequel to date, Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998). A fifth and final sequel titled "Phantasm's End" has been apparently discussed, but nothing further has yet eventuated on this project. As the Angus Scrimm is approaching his 80th birthday, Phantasm fans hope that the "Tall Man" will be there for the proposed final chapter of this thrilling saga of the Undead!

Apart from the "Phantasm" series, Coscarelli also wrote and directed the well received sword and sorcery film The Beastmaster (1982) starring athletic Marc Singer and the eye-catching Tanya Roberts being pursued by villainous high priest Rip Torn. And recently in 2002, Coscarelli cast horror & fantasy film screen hero Bruce Campbell in the highly off-beat Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) that depicts Elvis and John F. Kennedy hiding out in a Texas rest home where the residents are being attacked by a 3,000 year old cowboy boot wearing mummy trying to bring itself back to life! A strange script it may sound, but indie and horror film fans loved the unusual premise and quirky humor, and the film was a hot hit at several film festivals and has spawned a further cult following for Coscarelli and Campbell.

Coscarelli, similar to gifted fantasy directors such as Wes Craven, Sam Raimi and George A. Romero has carved himself a true cult niche in modern horror film history, and his loyal fans eagerly await his next project.

Lee Majdoub was born in Tripoli, Lebanon. He is an actor and writer, known for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024), Get Fast (2024) and Assassin's Creed Mirage (2023).

Christopher Newman was born in Tripoli, Lebanon. Christopher is a producer and assistant director, known for Game of Thrones (2011), Band of Brothers (2001) and The Remains of the Day (1993).

Mario Donatone was born on 9 June 1933 in Tripoli, Libya. He was an actor, known for The Godfather: Part III (1990), Phenomena (1985) and Eva, la Venere selvaggia (1968). He died on 14 April 2020 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Stavros Tsiolis was born on 6 October 1937 in Tripoli, Greece. He was a writer and director, known for Parakalo, gynaikes, mi klaite... (1992), Akatanikitoi erastes (1988) and Erotas sti hourmadia (1990). He died on 23 July 2019 in Athens, Greece.

Ola Alforjani was born in 1/June 1995 in Tripoli Libya In her youngest year, she was funded by novels especially Agatha Christie brought by her father when he notes her fondant to reading which made her eager to attend more literature and writing classes, where she developed the love of writing and creating novels.

In her med school, She studied computer programming, but her passion for series and films driven her far from Sciences she decided to follow her dream participate the Art Instituteas and become film director.

She developed many artistic talents until she began writing cinematic scripts in professional way, she worked on the national channel as a director of TV shows and news. She trained in many channels, including the BBC Media Action project, and she found that this job will not help her to fulfill her dream so she decides to take a turn and left the job to start a new journey in the film industry as she crave.

Ola is a director who works now as Art Director / Assist Director and script supervisor Known for Takharif (2021) (2023) first horror TV series in Libya.

Waheeb Khaled is a Libyan Actor who kicked off his career in acting back in 2015 when he landed his first lead role in Al Emara film, He is best known for impersonating various characters on the Libyan TV series Takhriff and won the (COLFF) digital award for best-supporting actor for his role on the Story of Godia.

Antonio Monselesan was born on 2 August 1941 in Tripoli, Italian Libya. He was an actor, known for Lo chiamavano Trinità... (1970), Carogne si nasce (1968) and Ordine firmato in bianco (1974). He died on 25 February 2015 in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy.

Amos Lavi was born in 1935 in Tripoli, Libya. He was an actor, known for Munich (2005), Nashim (1996) and Zirkus Palestina (1998). He died on 9 November 2010 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Paul Cristo was born on 25 October 1907 in Tripoli, Greece. He was an actor. He died on 8 July 2000 in Santa Clara, California, USA.

Evelina Meghnagi was born on 23 October 1954 in Tripoli, Libya. She is an actress, known for The Passion of the Christ (2004), La princesse de Montpensier (2010) and Ripley's Game (2002).

Tal Adla was born Taleb Adlah to Mouhammad Adla, a construction foreman, and Selma Adla, a housewife, on March 23, 1978, in Tripoli, Lebanon. His family moved to New York when he was two years old and eventually settled in Port Jefferson, Long Island, NY. After he graduated high school he attended Suffolk College, where he first set foot on stage. He took Acting 101 just to fulfill an elective credit. A short while into the class his teacher took him aside and told him that he should try out for plays. Tal was hesitant because it would take a lot of time and he would not be able to help out with the family business. He auditioned just to see what would happen--and he got the part. He worked his schedule where he would be able to do both. From then on he secured parts in "Hamlet", "Orphans", "Lost in Yonkers" and many more. He got the role of Marco in "A View From the Bridge", which got him nominated for the Irene Ryan Competitions.

Soon after, his acting coach pointed him in the direction of TV and film. Tal took some classes, instantly fell in love and focused his career to working on camera. One class in particular was taught by a casting director from Lynn Kressel Casting. For the final for the class, Tal had to perform in front of professional talent managers. After his performance he was approached by talent manager Donald Jackson, who wanted to work with him. His first audition was for a film called 11'09''01 - September 11 (2002). He got the call back and read for director Mira Nair. He booked the job!

Soon after the film he got a great job in real estate. He became so busy and involved that he had to take a break from acting, but after two years he decided to get back into it. He immediately booked a role on The Sopranos (1999) as Ahmed. Tal's manager Donald Jackson has sadly passed away. Tal is currently freelancing and is actively looking for representation. Tal is still working in TV and film and is contemplating a move to L.A.

Suleiman Ali Nashnush was born in 1943 in Tripoli, Libya. He was an actor. He died on 25 February 1991.

Robert Haggiag was born in 1913 in Tripoli, Libya. He was a producer, known for Signore & signori (1966), The Barefoot Contessa (1954) and Legend of the Lost (1957). He died on 1 March 2009 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Director And Producer Osama Rezg -Libya

Osama Rezg is an acclaimed director known for his distinctive contributions to the Libyan media landscape. In 2009, he received a prestigious grant from the British Cultural Center (Leader Culture Ship International) and held several directing and film production certifications from London and Scotland. Rezg's career trajectory took him to Dubai for two years, where he directed commercials and documentaries. However, he returned to his homeland in mid-2007 to become one of the founders of Allibiya Channel, directing numerous award-winning programs. His first significant documentary, "Anihum.... Sayed Alkalimat" (2008), focused on Libyan philosopher Assadeg Anihum.

His initial foray into the work of drama was with the comedy series Ala Alhawa (2008). Following this, he co-directed the drama series "Kul Youm Ehkaya" (2009) - a unique project in Libyan media, as it was the first time three directors shared directing duties on the same work.

Rezg's entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish his company, Alsora for Media Production, in 2003. The company was the springboard for various projects, including "Ala Alhawa," "kul Youm Egkaya," and numerous documentaries and commercials. He continued his entrepreneurial journey by co-founding ART Production with Walid Ellafi in 2013, which became one of Libya's most important production houses for drama and cinema.

He directed several successful works of drama, including "Phobia" (2013), "Dragunov" (2014), and "The Random" (2013), a short film that participated in over 20 film festivals and garnered several awards. He continued to create award-winning series such as "Rubik" (2017), "Zankat Arreh" (2019), and "Azza'imain" (2020).

Rezg's first full-length feature film was "Al-Baroni" (2021), depicting the life story of Libyan fighter Suleiman Al-Baroni. That same year, he directed the series "Ghassak" and was the executive producer for "Zankat Arreeh- Part Two." In 2022 and 2023, he directed the historical series "Assaraya."

Rezg's accomplishments have not gone unnoticed; in 2021, he was selected as one of Libya's 40 most influential figures under 40. As ART Production Company celebrated its tenth anniversary, it is recognized as the leading production house in Libya and the Maghreb. This is in no small part due to Rezg's effective management, relentless work ethic, and high standards of production, which have garnered praise from Arab celebrities who participated in the company's productions.

Despite working with smaller budgets than his counterparts in the Gulf countries, Egypt, and the Middle East, Rezg has managed to maintain high technical and creative standards. His ability to combine artistic vision, effective management, and intelligent production has elevated Libyan-Maghrebi productions, making them popular across the region and the Arab world. His work and the awards it has won testify to his talent, vision, and commitment to his craft.

Abdel Salam Al Nabulsy was born in Northern Tripoli in 1899. His father sent him to Egypt so he could study at Al-Azhar Mosque, and while he was there he became interested in acting. He acted on stage for a while and when his family knew about his new career, they stopped sending him money so he could concentrate on his studies. Then Abdel Salam had to find a way to earn his living, he portrayed evil characters which aren't too violent, then he chose comedian roles in most of his films. He used to write in several Egyptian magazines, he also spoke different languages, such as French.

Randa Chahal Sabag was born on 11 December 1953 in Tripoli, Lebanon. She was a director and writer, known for Le cerf-volant (2003), Civilisées (1999) and Les infidèles (1997). She died on 25 August 2008 in Paris, France.

Vittorio Veltroni was born on 26 November 1918 in Tripoli, Libya. He was a writer and actor, known for Amor non ho! Però, però.. (1951), L'amore in città (1953) and Piovuto dal cielo (1953). He died on 26 July 1956 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Hristos Nomikos was born on 23 November 1947 in Tripoli, Greece. He is an actor, known for Erotiki teleti (1977), To koritsi vomva (1976) and Alitis kai batsos (1989).

Abudhar Al Hassan is an Indian film and TV actor, based in Mumbai. Although an IT graduate and a software developer by profession, he renounced his career in Information Technology, to pursue his passion for acting. After quitting his corporate job in Delhi, Abudhar enriched his acting skills by not only performing in theatrical plays but also co-writing a couple of them. Thereafter, he shifted to Mumbai where he has been making a headway in the film industry ever since.

His first role was in the Hindi comedy film Dharam Sankat Mein (2015), as a Police Officer. Subsequently, he has made many cameo appearances in films like Force 2 (2016), Ribbon (2017) and Fanney Khan (2018).

He has also appeared in prominent Indian TV shows like Yeh Hai Mohabbatein (2013), Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat (2015), Police Factory (2015), TV Ke Uss Paar (2016) & Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala (2018). His most notable TV performance was in Baal Krishna (2016) where he portrayed the poor and pale character of Sudama - the childhood friend of Lord Krishna. His performance as 'Rohan' was much appreciated in the popular TV Mini-series Ready 2 Mingle (2018), as the friend and manager of Nirav (Amol Parashar) & Myra (Aahana Kumra). More recently, he played the 'Boss' of 'Nia' (Anjali Tatrari) in the acclaimed TV show Mere Dad Ki Dulhan (2019).

Adorning a bald and bearded, polished look, Abudhar Al Hassan, has managed to garner a wide range of supporting roles in popular web series such as Official CEOgiri (2018) and Spotlight 2 (2018) although his most challenging portrayal was that of the character 'Manoj Kacholia' a self-centered, egoistical movie director, in the award-winning web series Bhak (2019).

Born and brought up in Tripoli, Libya, Abudhar has had the advantage of experiencing different lifestyles including that of India and the Arab world. Also being a polyglot has helped him to transcend regional boundaries and work in multilingual projects. While originally a Malayali by descent, Abudhar is well-versed in Hindi, English, Tamil and of course, Malayalam. He can also manage some Arabic (Libyan dialect).

Abudhar Al Hassan can be seen soon in films like Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022), Kaadan (2021) and Rashtra Kavach Om (2022).

Dorota Szelagowska was born on 26 September 1980 in Tripoli, Libya. She is a producer, known for Rower Blazeja (1997), Dorota was urzadzi (2014) and Kuba Wojewódzki (2002).

Born in Tripoli in 1927, Georges Nasser studied cinema at UCLA in Hollywood and returned to his native country with the firm determination to make films in an environment where the industry was non-existent. In 1957 he directed Ila Ayn (Towards the Unknown), which became the first film to represent Lebanon in the official competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Nasser repeated the same remarkable feat with The Little Stranger, also selected at Cannes in 1962. A period of relentlessness and disillusionment followed. In 1975, Nasser shot his third film "Al Matloub Rajol Wahed" (A Man is Needed) in Syria. Although the film's future looked promising, the eruption of the Lebanese civil war put an end to its career. Unlike the new wave of young Lebanese filmmakers who filmed the war, such as Maroun Baghdadi, Borhane Alaouie, Jocelyne Saab, Randa Chahal and Jean Chamoun, Nasser did not follow suit. Nevertheless, at no point did he consider leaving the country. He worked as a production manager on a few foreign films, such as Volker Schlöndorff's Circle of Deceit, and continued to write and seek funding opportunities for his screenplays. Unfortunately, time passed and money did not arrive. Nasser began to fight on another front: the creation of a Lebanese union of film technicians, another attempt that proved unsuccessful because of the incompetence of the state and the ministries concerned. Nasser finally found a satisfactory vocation as a teacher at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA). He educates new generations in the art of making films. At the age of 89, he still has not retired, and his eyes shine when he talks about his great love of cinema.

Khalifa Abo Khraisse is a Libyan director, writer and actor. Applauded at the Locarno Film Festival, and was nominated for best reportage at BBC Arab Films Festival 2015. Known for Cartoline Da Tripoli (Postcards from Tripoli), the weekly column he writes on the site of the Internazionale magazine, which offers the Italian readers a glimpses of daily life in the Libyan capital, that can say much more than a geopolitical article.

Franco Califano was born on 14 September 1938 in Tripoli, Libya. He was an actor and composer, known for Il divo (2008), Romanzo criminale (2005) and Il ritorno di Ribot (1991). He died on 30 March 2013 in Acilia, Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Claudio Gentile was born on 27 September 1953 in Tripoli, Libya. He is an actor, known for 1982 FIFA World Cup (1982), 1978 FIFA World Cup (1978) and Italia 1982 - Una storia azzurra (2022).