Let us tell you something about Michael Picarella, the one who won the Ventura County, CA “Best Mom in the World” poetry contest at age 8.

Mike’s “Best Mom in the World” poem was a pivotal piece of work in his life—it inspired his career direction. The poem influenced Mike’s mom to get him a new bike, which Mike used to pull a train of Radio Flyer wagons carrying his brother and other neighborhood kids down the street, which lead to the making of an entire amusement park that Mike and his brother made in their driveway for the same neighborhood kids, which inspired Mike’s mom to buy him a Super 8 film motion picture camera on his 10th birthday to capture the amusement park, which lead to Mike wanting to create motion pictures.

Later on in life, Mike wrote and directed the full-length movies “Punchcard Player” and “1 2 3,” and he produced, wrote, directed and edited several short films. (No, he never adapted his “Best Mom in the World” poem into a film.)

Mike’s corporate video experience includes writing for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and United Religions Initiative.

As for his commercial work, Mike wrote several national spots, including some for TaxBrain.com, the online tax service.

As a journalist, Mike covered President George W. Bush, comedian/actor Jamie Kennedy, blues performer B.B. King and many other notable figures. His writing—including his news writing and his humor column “Family Men Don’t Wear Name Brands”—has been published in various national media outlets, including the Drudge Report. Mike has also written several public relations campaigns.

Additionally, Mike has worked in various capacities on a number of full-length films, including “The Italian Job” with Mark Wahlberg and “Scenes of the Crime” with Jeff Bridges. He cleaned up reindeer droppings on the made-for-TV movie “Mrs. Santa Claus” with Angela Lansbury.

Mike was also co-founder, editor and writer of The Scene, a monthly arts and entertainment magazine, and was a co-creator, writer and director on “The Scene TV,” an arts and entertainment television show.

Mike studied motion pictures and video at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco and he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in the same field.

Since the day he wrote that awe-inspiring, heartfelt, tear-jerking “Best Mom in the World” poem, Mike has continued to create top quality work. We’re told Mike is at work on a “Best Dad in the World” poem.