Darin Beckstead

Darin Beckstead is an American director and screenwriter. His fantasy film, Courage & Stupidity (2005), was inspired by Steven Spielberg's making of Jaws (1975). The 25-minute dramedy was shot on Super 35mm, thanks to a sponsorship from Kodak and Panavision, and screened internationally at top festivals such as Fantasia and Sitges. For his work and upfront communication, Darin received a letter of endorsement from Mr. Spielberg's long-time publicist and Senior Advisor, Marvin J. Levy (available on Beckstead's website). The film was later championed by Ted Sarandos, who made it the first short to receive a stand-alone distribution deal with Netflix. Beckstead's Indie movie, Somebody's Hero (2012), was lensed in New York City and employed 16mm film to support his retro vision for the story. It screened at The Heartland Film Festival, was voted an audience favorite at The Newport Beach Film Festival, and won Coney Island's festival, taking home the award for "Best Feature." For his creature creation, Evil Nature (2018), Beckstead demonstrated "innovative monster movement" through a combination of both practical and digital effects. The live-action test screened for audiences of The LA International Short Film Festival and won "Best Special FX" at 2018's Indie Horror Film Festival. During 2019, "Fresh Voices" ranked one of Darin's screenplays in their Top 10 thriller & horror scripts. That same year, his writing was further recognized by "The Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards," and in 2020 another work became a "ScreenCraft" sci-fi finalist. In the world of advertising, Beckstead has directed commercial and promotional campaigns for clients such as The Larry King Cardiac Foundation, NordicTrack / HealthRider, Century 21, Sony Music, and The Children's Miracle Network.