Mark Vadik, MA, JD

Mark received his B.A. in Performance Studies and his M.A. in Theatre/ Arts Marketing and Management at Northwestern University/Kellogg School of Management. He also received his J.D. from Loyola University, Chicago and is currently licensed to practice law in New York and Illinois.

Vadik, a veteran with over 100 entertainment projects under his belt, brings a unique blend of both creative and business experience to every project he works on. 

“Best Feature Film” – Atlanta Horror Film Festival

His first short story, “The Gift”, based on ee cummings’ “Me up as does”, was published when Mark was 15. He was later recognized as one of America’s “aspiring under-ground writers” in the early 90s when his work was featured on “60 Minutes”

Transitioning into directing and producing, over the last 30 years, he has had the opportunity to work with numerous Broadway and Hollywood icons. His last theatrical stage play (“R3 – A Gothic Tale” – a Jungian adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard III) was named “One of the Top 10 Must Sees” for the 2004 Chicago Theatre season by The Windy City Times and the Chicago Tribune favorably compared his directorial style with Sir Peter Brooks and Robert Falls.

Favorable national reviews afforded Vadik the opportunity to write and direct his first feature film: “The Thirsting” (released internationally by Cinemavault as “Lilith”). The movie, starring Tina Krause and Mickey Rooney, premiered as the 2005 Cannes Film Festival receiving critical acclaim amongst genre fans and established him as one of the “up and coming new writer/directors in horror.”

“Best Director” – Chicago Horror Film Festival

Following on the success of his first genre film, Vadik completed “Cyrus: Mind of A Serial Killer” (Anchor Bay). Released in Australia in May 2010, the movie immediately jumped to #11 on that country’s all time favorite “R” rated movie list (sitting comfortably between #10,“Requiem for a Dream” and #12 “Boon Dock Saints”). The movie has been deemed a seminal film in the psychological/thriller genre along with such immortal films as “M” and “Psycho”.

Along with winning such award as “Best Director” at the Chicago Horror Film Festival, Eerie Film Festival and Crypticon and “best Feature Film” at the Atlanta Horror Film Festival, the movie received numerous nominations, including Gozezone Magazine (the world’s then largest genre based periodical) nominating the film for “Best Thriller” and Vadik for “Best Director”.

Included in his horror filmography is “House of the Witchdoctor” (Producer). The micro-budget horror film stars Leslie Easterbrook, Bill Mosley and the iconic Dyanne Thorne.

“METROPOLIS GRAND JURY AWARD” – Nominee DOC NYC

Branching outside of the horror genre, Vadik was the lead producer on “See Know Evil” which is a feature length documentary co-produced with IMG about the life and work of fashion photographer Davide Sorrenti, an elusive figure in the history of both fashion and photography. The film was nominated for the Metropolis Grand Jury Prize at DOC NY (2018)and received a national theatrical release in the United Kingdom.

His inspirational family film “A Chance in the World” (Writer, Director) was released onover 600 screens in the USA and is currently a fan favorite on broadcast television and streaming platforms such as Tubi.

Transitioning more into television, Vadik wrote, produced and directed the television pilots “Shut Up & Dance” and “Puckheads” (Don Most, Vanessa Angel & Nick Turturro). In 2016, Vadik executive produced the satirical weekly news program WTF News America (WCIU) supervising veteran SNL and Second City writers. WBS News, a spin off, is slated to begin airing nationally on both broadcast tv and platforms in May of 2022.

He is currently producing the feature film “Way of the Warriors” with Arnold Rifkin (“Tears of the Sun”, “Live Free or Die Hard”, “Deception”), manages VPOD TV (59.3 – WAOE & WCHU), an independent broadcast television network, with a 10,000,000 audience reach and is in pre-production on “Bleeding in the Dark”, a horror revenge film, as well as “Sydney Salmen’s Second Chance” a feature film musical comedy.