Justin grew up in Cordele, GA on a horse farm, competing and training horses with his family.
He fell in love with film in the theater on the opening day of Jurassic Park. Seeing a dinosaur walk across the screen like it belonged there changed everything. Film can show you a world that doesn’t exist, but maybe it could. The marriage of picture and sound can change how a person sees the world.
He moved to Los Angeles with Mykell in 2011 with absolutely no idea how to be a film guy and through Craigslist struggles and Mandy dot com nonsense he began to build a career, designing indie films, working for Buzzfeed, puppeting miniatures for toy commercials, and currently working as the premiere on-set dresser for shows on Amazon, Warner Brothers, and Disney.
All along he and Mykell would work to create their own projects. Short films like “Land of Smiles” were born from their time in Thailand. “202 the Series” came about as they looked at their talented friend group. “A Farm Called Home” exists because Mykell’s family has an incredible story, and together they could tell it with the respect it deserved.
Justin always aims to bring the audience something they haven’t seen before. Sure, there’s nothing new under the sun, but there’s always a chance to see something differently. All of this, both filmmaking and living, is an adventure, full of excitement and danger, always rewarding the brave with some new treasure. This is how he chooses to see things, and how
A Great Adventure is run.
A GREAT ADVENTURE TEAM
Mykell's journey weaves a colorful tapestry of rural roots and urban dreams. Raised between his granddaddy’s barbershop and his grandma’s kitchen in vibrant southwest Atlanta and his family’s sprawling 400-acre farm nestled in the picturesque foothills of Kentucky, he absorbed a myriad of tales that ignited his imagination.
At the start of his career as a singer/songwriter, Mykell collaborated with icons like Grammy-winning producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins and renowned manager Johnny Wright. This musical odyssey deepened his passion for storytelling, inspiring a transition into narrative screenwriting and production.
Teaming up with his husband Justin Patten, they have crafted impactful works like "A Farm Called Home," "Huru," and “202 the Series”, establishing themselves as a dynamic writer/director duo known for their commitment to poignant storytelling.
Mykell's four year stint as senior executive assistant to RuPaul Charles, enriched his perspective as a storyteller and guardian of narrative integrity.
For Mykell, stories are sacred. His mission is to cultivate spaces where these narratives can thrive and resonate on a global scale, embodying a profound dedication to the art of storytelling and its transformative power.
