Joseph Strickland

American film director Joseph Strickland began his career in film as a producer of music videos and industrial videos at Chicago Access Network Television. As an actor, he appeared in several feature films as a movie extra, including "Running Scared" (1986) and "Rookie of the Year" (1993). His first screenplay, "The Epidemic," was written in 1985 in response to the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. At that time, the script received a commission to be produced as a feature film. He then worked to co-produce--and perform in--a short film called "Daily Mass" (1989), which he also co-directed with fellow Columbia College of Chicago alumni Tim O'Neill. The short film featured at the 24th Chicago International Film Festival, receiving praise from legendary film critic Roger Ebert, who commented that the student film showed 'Promising talent.'

After visiting Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1991, Strickland was intrigued by the Jeffrey Dahmer trial on cable television; and he was inspired to write a screenplay that would become a feature film titled "Dual Mania." The film project would undergo a long, tedious process, including changing hands between two film distribution companies before entering the (film) festival circuit. After receiving over a dozen film festival awards worldwide, the psychological thriller made its United States theatrical debut at The Trylon Cinema in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The film opened to (3) screenings on July 3, 2021. The film had its Chicago premiere at the Gene Siskel Film Center on August 26, 2021.

The writer/director is currently working on his next feature film, tentatively titled "The Crimson Sun," a drama centered on family tragedy. The feature film, slated for a 2022 theatrical release, will begin filming (on location) in Chicago in the fall of 2021.