Joe Gilford’s play Finks, adapted from the real-life experiences of his parents Jack and Madeline Gilford was nominated for both a NY Drama Desk award and an Off-Broadway Alliance award for Best New Play. It was also a NY Times Critics Pick. He is the author of the recently published "why Does the Screenwriter Cross the Road?" ...and other screenwriting secrets (Michael Wiese books) which was a Featured Pick at the Writer’s Store online. He is a two-time recipient of Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grants for his plays Danny’s Brain about football concussions and The Radio Boys about the genius and tragedy of Edwin Armstrong, the inventor of FM radio. He is the winner of a New York Emmy Award for his work for Public Television’s Channel 13 City Arts series. His documentary work for PBS includes "Beyond Wiseguys: Italian Americans and the Movies" and Michael Feinstein’s three hour epic history, "The Great American Songbook". His articles on screenwriting have been published in Script Magazine online and in Movie Maker magazine. He has taught screenwriting at NYU’s Tisch Film program since 1999. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.