Biography

Award-winning director and producer Andrew van den Houten is a native New Yorker born and raised on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Receiving critical acclaim from the likes of Stephen King and Roger Ebert, his work has been recognized worldwide by the Sundance Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Independent Spirit Awards, SXSW, Fantastic Fest, Deauville American Film Festival, Sitges, FrightFest, and many others.

Over the course of his career, van den Houten has been involved in the development, financing, production, and distribution of more than eighty feature films, including Independent Spirit Award nominee In the Family, the cult classic "Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door," and the Sundance shocker "The Woman." Through his first production company, Modernciné, he directed both "Headspace" and "Offspring."

Under his production banner Hood River Entertainment, van den Houten has produced a diverse slate of action, horror, and thriller films, including the Shudder Original "The Ranger," the McManus Brothers’ critically acclaimed "The Block Island Sound," and "A Day to Die," directed by Wes Miller and starring Bruce Willis.

Together with director Wes Miller, van den Houten co-founded BLacklight, a production company dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for people of color and other traditionally underserved voices both in front of and behind the camera while remaining committed to producing commercially successful and globally resonant stories. BLacklight’s first production for BET, "Call Her King," stars Naturi Naughton and Lance Gross. In partnership with Dark Star Pictures, BLacklight serves as a releasing and distribution partner on "Black Heat," starring Jason Mitchell, NLE Choppa, and DreamDoll, and on the upcoming releases "Wildcards," starring Leon, Aries Spears, and Elise Neal; "A Bloody Night," starring Leon, Hannaha Hall, NLE Choppa, and Jack Wright; and "Mercy Mercy Me," the prequel to Black Heat starring Lil Mama and Jason Mitchell.

van den Houten also completed Ballard C. Boyd’s (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) feature directorial debut "Jackrabbit," starring Kuhoo Verma (Murder Mystery 2) and Taylor Ortega (Big Mistakes).

In 2026, van den Houten completed a new psychological horror-thriller feature, with premiere and release details forthcoming.

Beyond production and directing, van den Houten works in film finance, sales, distribution, and corporate consulting through 79th & Broadway Entertainment and is also a partner in film distributor and financier Kamikaze Dogfight.
- IMDb mini biography by: 79th & Broadway Entertainment