Italian-American independent director, producer, and screenwriter Frankie Latina constructs cinema at the intersection of the surreal and the uncanny. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Latina’s creative DNA is inextricably linked to one of the most singular landmarks in the American landscape: The House on the Rock. Designed and built by his great-grandfather, Alex Jordan Jr., the Spring Green masterpiece opened in 1959 as a labyrinth of architecturally distinct rooms and immersive galleries—a legacy of grand-scale visionary eccentricity that serves as a spiritual blueprint for Latina’s own aesthetic.

The son of counterculture parents Lisa Jordan and Thomas Latina, he was raised within a "unique collage" of influences by two sets of grandparents: Frank and Charlotte Latina and Alex and Shirley Jordan. In this household, the drive of the immigrant entrepreneur was famously juxtaposed with the fire of the labor movement activist. This environment exposed Latina to the contradictory, yet deeply inspirational, values of the American Dream—a theme that remains a pulse point in his work.

Latina’s obsession with the moving image began in his youth, wielding his Uncle David’s Super 8mm camera to capture the world through a stylized lens. After honing his craft at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s film program, he rose to prominence with the highly-regarded art-house epic, Modus Operandi. The film’s striking visual language and neo-noir sensibilities earned a positive review from the legendary Roger Ebert, who noted:

"The film is touring the nation in search of those like Quentin Tarantino and John Waters who would stay planted in their seats and watch it a second time."

With this endorsement from one of cinema’s most renowned critics, Latina cemented his reputation as a formidable voice in independent film. Today, he continues to explore the "phantasmagorical escape," transforming the uncanny experiences of contemporary life into immersive, cinematic landscapes that challenge the boundaries of reality and spectatorship.