Paul Eliacin is an independent film director with experience in film, television, and commercials. He got his start straight out of Brooklyn and is one of eight children. Paul physically spent over thirty years as a Teamster on TV sets such as Law and Order SVU, Law and Order, Criminal Intent, New York Undercover, and the Sopranos. On the film side, he participated in various projects including Boomerang, One Fine Day, Conspiracy Theory, Men in Black, and the First Wives Club. Additionally, he was a crew member of the highly rated talk show called The Week In Review, which aired on WRKS-FM in New York City featuring Bob Slade, Bob Pickett, Peter Noel, James Mtume, and Charles “The Cut Man” Etheridge. In 2004, Paul then decided to don a director hat and release his own feature film, Up in Harlem, which is soon to be re-released on multiple streaming platforms. 

Tantamount to his determination is his humanitarianism. When the tragedy of 9/11 occurred, Paul was one of the many that devoted his time assisting the relief effort. He was courageous enough to spend sixteen hours a day at Ground Zero for over two weeks in order to assist in the search and recovery of victims. This left him struggling with a series of illnesses such as chronic rhinosinusitis, an upper respiratory disease, severe disruptive sleep apnea and post-traumatic stress disorder. Throughout the years, Paul has overcome all of these hardships to hone his craft and achieve what most people have never achieved in their lives. He is also still mentoring, writing and volunteering as an Outreach Coordinator for the homeless and needy, staying true to his belief that success is achieved “with God’s grace.”

During his time spent on the ground in Lower Manhattan, he was able to capture hours of never-before-seen footage and hundreds of unpublished photos. Today, he is using this material to produce a new documentary, The Lights On 9/11, that will showcase stories of grief, courage and recovery stemming from said day. This is about honoring victims, First Responders, and those who have lived to tell the tale.

Despite all of the adversity Paul experienced and endured throughout his life, he was still able to learn from his experiences. This is a feat many of us will never accomplish. There are very few people like Paul that exist; therefore, it is necessary that he be allowed to share his struggles with the world. His eagerness to share his story stems from a need to help young men and women that are destined to walk down the same wrong path that he did when younger. Paul wants to ensure they go on to leading happier and healthier lives, for it is common knowledge that many who stray from the path of victory will be forever lost.

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