Joseph Monks

Joseph M. Monks was an American writer and director, recognized as the world's first visually impaired feature film director. Born on February 21, 1968, in Queens, New York, he co-created the cult horror comic book Cry For Dawn with Joseph Michael Linsner. This comic book was published by Cry For Dawn Productions from 1989 to 1993.1 After losing his sight due to diabetic retinopathy in 2002, Monks continued his creative endeavors and completed his first anthology of original fiction, Stuff Out'a My Head, in the same year.1

Monks made history with his feature film The Bunker, becoming the first blind feature film director. The film was completed with the help of a Kickstarter campaign and released in 2013.1 He also received the Achievement in Cinema award at the Gasparilla International Film Festival in 2011.1 Monks passed away on August 19, 2023.4

He was associated with Sight Unseen Pictures, LLC, a film production company focused on horror films and thrillers.3 Monks was an award-winning Latino writer/director with experience in producing film and TV properties for both domestic and foreign distribution.2