After completing an arts-based high school, Massimiliano Amato dedicated himself to independent theatre and video production. As an actor and director, he has staged works by Luigi Pirandello, Tennessee Williams, Slawomir Mrozek, Sam Shepard, Jean Cocteau and adaptations from Studs Terkel's Working. He has worked on a number of serials for Rai and Mediaset, directed by Luigi Perelli, Donatella Maiorca, Raffaele Mertes, Antonello Grimaldi, Robert Chapman and others. His movie work includes being directed by Barbara Dall'Angelo (CSC), Robert Hellis Miller, Andrea Lodovichetti (CSC), Maurizio Ponzi, and in 2003 Carlo Verdone in the film (Ma che colpa abbiamo noi). He has directed and produced a documentary on independent cinema, and a short on anti-personnel mines. EXIT Una Storia Personale is his first feature film as a director and screenwriter.