Biography

A director in film and stage, Todd Felderstein is the resident artist at the Actors Studio West (Director Member) and a 2024-25 NEXT Directing Fellow, where he works in both narrative and nonfiction. Todd creates intimate, humanistic films about people devoted to a practice - actors, artists, athletes, and communities shaped by discipline, resilience, and connection. Todd is especially drawn to the emotional interior of creation: the quiet rituals, relationships, and acts of endurance that give meaning to human life across generations. His productions range from the large Hollywood studio (Sony, Marvel) to the more intimate and independent, of which many have been shown in global festivals from Los Angeles, CA to Cannes, France.

After winning the live stage option to Dan Millman's classic novel, Todd adapted "Way of the Peaceful Warrior" for the live stage which then premiered in Los Angeles. He founded the digital platform, Smartphone Theatre, at the onset of the pandemic, which produced over 50 original digital shows with such stars as Alan Arkin, Susan Sullivan, Mark Rydell, Asaad Kelada and many others from Broadway to Hollywood. Todd's music nonfiction features Grammy award-winning artists and music legends, including Booker T., Sterling Radcliffe, Ray Parker, Jr., Preston Glass, Rufus, John (JR) Robinson, Bobby Watson, Michael Thompson, just to name a few. Notable producing accolades include "Emerging Filmmaker" honors from the Cannes Film Festival.

Originally from Rochester, NY, the birthplace of Kodak, Todd was raised in Baltimore, MD, where he nurtured his camera obsession as a young photographer. Relocating to Los Angeles shortly after graduation from the University of Maryland, Todd forged a career in commercial and portrait photography while directing stage and independent cinema. To this day, Todd remains true to his professional photography passions, where you can often find his work in solo and group shows. He conducts workshops at the Los Angeles Center of Photography and Samy's Camera.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jasper McKenzie