A Pittsburgh native, Christian Stavrakis spent his formative years in the suburbs of Washington D.C. Having been exposed to the world of film at an early age (his brother Taso worked frequently with director George Romero), Christian returned to Pittsburgh in 1990 and worked for many years on numerous films which were shot in the area, always maintaining a close relationship with his friend and classmate Mark Ricche, who remained in Maryland. After the huge success of "The Blair Witch Project" (co-directed by their high school friend Eduardo Sanchez), Stavrakis and Ricche became more determined than ever to produce a feature of their own. The result was "Mortal Remains," the debut feature of their company, Cryptic Pictures. After a 13-year struggle, the film was finally completed and released to the public in 2017. Also known as accomplished sculptor, painter, and writer, Stavrakis continues to hone his skills as a filmmaker and artist.