Tom Musca (born 1951) is an American filmmaker and professor.

Biography

Musca received a BA from

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

in 1973 and an MFA from the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

in 1981. Musca's best known work was as the writer and producer of '' Stand and Deliver'' in 1988. The film was nominated for seven

Independent Spirit Awards The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...

and won six, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay honors for Musca. Additionally,

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, was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for his role in the film. ''Stand and Deliver'' is preserved in the National Film Registry of the U.S. Library of Congress. Musca has gone on to write, produce and direct for film, television and the theater. He was a co-writer and producer for ''Money for Nothing'' with

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James Gandolfini James John Gandolfini (; September 18, 1961June 19, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Tony Soprano, the Italian-American American Mafia, Mafia crime boss in HBO's television series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007 ...

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and

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and '' Tortilla Soup'' starring

Hector Elizondo In Greek mythology, Hector (; , ) was a Trojan prince, a hero and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. He is a major character in Homer's ''Iliad'', where he leads the Trojans and their allies in the defense of Troy, killing c ...

and

Raquel Welch Jo Raquel Welch (; September 5, 1940 – February 15, 2023) was an American actress. Welch first gained attention for her role in ''Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she signed a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her con ...

. He wrote and directed ''Melting Pot'' aka Race starring Paul Rodriguez and was a writer for

Gotta Kick It Up! ''Gotta Kick It Up!'' is a 2002 American sports comedy-drama film released as a Disney Channel Original Movie. In the United States, it debuted on July 26, 2002. It is based on a true story of a middle school dance team. The film was directed ...

starring America Ferrara. Since 2010 Musca has been the head of the MFA Screenwriting track and Professor of Professional Practice at the University of Miami School of Communication. In 2020 he wrote, produced and directed ''Chateau Vato,'' a rags to riches comedy set in Miami. On March 9, 2023, he premiered ''Dying To Direct'', a short film based on one of his short stories at the 40th Annual Miami Film Festival, which he wrote, produced and co-directed. Aguadilla, his film noir thriller premiered at Cinequest FIlm Festival in 2025 and the 42nd Annual Miami Film Festival, his fifth film to be showcased at this prestigious forum.

Filmography

*''

Little Nikita ''Little Nikita'' is a 1988 American thriller film directed by Richard Benjamin and starring River Phoenix and Sidney Poitier. The film marks the first collaboration between Phoenix and Poitier (the second being ''Sneakers'' in 1992). Plot ...

'' (story) 1988 *'' Stand and Deliver'' (writer/producer) 1988 *''

Money for Nothing "Money for Nothing" is a song by the British rock band Dire Straits, the second track on their fifth studio album '' Brothers in Arms'' (1985). It was released as the album's second single on 28 June 1985 through Vertigo Records. The song's lyr ...

'' (writer/producer) 1993 *'' Melting Pot (film)'' ''aka Race'' (writer/director) 1998 *'' Flight of Fancy'' aka ''Facing Fear'' (writer/producer/second unit director) 2000 *'' Tortilla Soup'' (writer, producer) 2001 * ''Gotta Kick it Up!'' Writer (2001) *''Make Love Great Again'' (producer, additional writing, actor) 2018 *''Chateau Vato'' (writer/director/producer) 2020 *''Amaraica'' (producer) 2021 *''Dying to Direct'' (writer, director, producer) 2023 *''Aguadilla'' (writer, producer, director) 2025

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Musca, Tom Filmmakers from Florida 1951 births Living people Rutgers University alumni University of California, Los Angeles alumni University of Miami faculty