Mario Van Peebles Mario Van Peebles is a native of San Francisco, where his father Melvin was a grip man on cable cars and first started directing films. “He tried to make a feature film “ jokes, Mario “but wound up making a short because no one ever told him about editing. So all he ended up with was a 12 minute short that featured my first cameo as a two year old.” Mario became a consummate filmmaking Renaissance man. “When you grow up in a by any means necessary independent filmmaking family, you’ve got to learn to do it all,” says Van Peebles . Mario broke out as an actor using his comedic skills in Clint Eastwood‘s “Heartbreak Ridge”. He played political icon, Malcolm, X in “Ali” directed by Michael Man. Mario’s directing feature debut was the gangster classic hit “New Jack City”. He followed that up by starring in and directing his bold black western “Posse”- which also featured his film making father Melvin. Mario teamed up with his dad to make the feature “Panther” about the rise of the Black Panther party for self defense in Oakland . Mario directed and produced, Melvin wrote and produced. The acclaimed controversial film is now a cult classic and won the Silver Leopard award. Mario wrote, starred, produced, and directed “Baadasssss!”- the odyssey about his maverick father’s making of his game changing film “Sweet Sweetback’s Badasssss Song!”. Playing your own father is like psychotherapy on celluloid,” jokes Mario. “Badasssss!” received Ebert and Roepers best movie of the year award. Van Peebles wrote, starred, produced, and directed the indie feature, “Armed” which challenges the powerful gun industry. In it, Mario plays a self proclaimed “Good Guy” with easy access to meds and weapons of war. An advocate for education and environmental justice, Van Peebles produced “Bring Your Game” for at-risk youth. “Mario’s Green House” chronicles he and his family’s humorous attempts to go green in materialistic Hollywood. “We never got to full green, but we did get to Olive” says Van Peebles. “With this new wild western, the circle is complete,” says Mario. “I got to do “Posse” with my dad and “Outlaw Posse” with my son Mandela. This life has been incredible. My father gave me my first lines in a feature film, and I gave him his last lines in a feature film.