Joe Ballarini is an American filmmaker, screenwriter and author. He is best known for writing and directing the 2010 comedy film A Modern Family Christmas. Other significant film credits as a writer include Dance of the Dead (2008) and My Little Pony: The Movie (2017). Notable television credits include The Ropes and Be Cool, Scooby Doo!. Besides his work in film and television Ballarini has also written and published a three-part children's fiction series titled A Babysitter's Guide to Monsters.