Christopher Coppola

Christopher began his filmmaking at an early age, by creating Super 8 films that starred his brother, Nicolas Cage. He both scripted and scored these very early films.

As a teenager, Christopher apprenticed to composer Carmine Coppola on the film Apocalypse Now (1979). He went on to study music composition at Redlands University where he received the prestigious California Arts Council Award for his opera "Plato's Cave" and for his clarinet quintet "Reverie". He then began his film studies at The San Francisco Art Institute. While there he completed four student films and graduated in 1987.

As a Producer/Writer/Director, Christopher has completed seven feature length motion pictures. Christopher's first feature, Dracula's Widow (1988), was produced for De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. Christopher's next feature, Deadfall (1993), distributed by Trimark Pictures, was a film-noir style thriller, starring Michael Biehn, Nicolas Cage and James Coburn. His third feature, a children's fantasy film entitled Clockmaker (1998), was shot in Romania for Kuschner-Locke. Christopher next completed the western, Gunfighter (1999), with Martin Sheen, Robert Carradine and Clu Gulager, which was produced by his own company, Plaster City Productions.

Also completed in 1998 was Palmer's Pick-Up: An American Roadshow Odyssey, a black comedy about the end of the world starring Robert Carradine, Richard Hillman, Patrick Kilpatrick and featuring Rosanna Arquette, Soupy Sales, Piper Laurie, Morton Downey Jr., Garrett Morris and Talia Shire, for Plaster City Productions and Winchester Films. "Palmer's Pick-Up" had its world premiere at the 1999 Berlin Film Festival. Christopher completed principal photography on G-Men From Hell in the Fall of 1999. This film based on Michael Allred's comic Grafik Musik stars William Forsythe, Tate Donovan, and Gary Busey. Since then, Plaster City Productions has embarked on an ambitious slate of feature-length digital films. Its first production, entitled Bel-Air, starring Barbara Bain and directed by Christopher, had its world premiere at the Cinequest San Jose Film Festival (March 2000).

Christopher's television work includes writing and directing numerous America's Most Wanted segments for Fox Television, directing the premiere episode of Bonechillers for ABC, directing the two Nickelodeon childrens' shows The Journey of Allen Strange and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd and directing Disney's hit show The Jersey.

Written by: Adrienne Coppola

The Philosophy

Every human being has a story to tell: a memory, a dream, a legend, whether factual or fiction. Individually, our range of stories is infinite. Together, we are a powerful agent for honest, positive, communication. In the past, entertainment was a business of the few, distributed to the many. Today, visual storytelling is being built upon an open source methodology, accessible to everyone: “Think it, Shoot it, Share it.” Look around you, the change is here, but how will you participate?

The Responsibility

Ongoing advances in digital technology promise to swing open the storytelling doors to all who step through. But many are afraid, or simply lack the skills to take that step. Even though we are surrounded by technology, many of us are still uncomfortable making full use of what this new media has to offer. Others could be left behind due to economic factors. Project Accessible Hollywood (PAH) seeks to educate people and communities on using simple digital media while encouraging them to express themselves artistically. Some of the best stories have been shared around a campfire or at the kitchen table. Today, technology has helped bring people from across town to across the oceans, to sit at the same virtual campfire. PAH will protect the spirit of storytelling, while bringing it into the 21st century.

The Festival

PAH-FEST is a week-long, digital media festival, traveling to cities throughout the US and internationally. The PAH-FEST encourages visual storytelling, fosters civic engagement, and promotes the production of fictional and documentary videos, which will be shared and enjoyed globally. People from all walks of life, with engaging story ideas, are provided with digital equipment and a professional “helping hand,” enabling them to create their own short digital films. Participants acquire confidence in handling cell phones, digital cameras and computers, while having fun learning the skills to visually tell their stories and portray their communities. The PAH Nation is an interactive, online community which will allow the sharing of the new media created in the festivals to advance dialogue and understanding worldwide. The word is spreading, from person to person, community to community, across borders and beyond. Our stories are being told, and shared, and appreciated. This is the PAH Nation. We welcome you.


Explore this website to learn more about where PAH’s been, where PAH’s going, and how you can sign on.

The answer is simple.

Come visit Christopher and his team Saturday morning, during the PAH fest orientation [see schedule for specific time and location at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center (BBL PAC)].

You will be dispatched with instructions on how to submit your own camera-phone-created mini-film. You will receive specifications as well as the official "theme" of the challenge and will be sent out to make your digi films.

You will then return to the BBL PAC to submit your film to be judged and winners will be announced at the awards presentation on Sunday of the festival.
More details to follow, so keep checking back. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, so you can be kept up to date on this special event, please email us here , with "PAH Fest" in the subject line: