Michael Greenspan is a film director, producer and writer best known for the psychological thriller Wrecked, which debuted at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Film Festival and starred Academy Award-winning actor Adrien Brody and actress Caroline Dhavernas.
Early life Michael was born and raised in Laval, Quebec. From a young age he had a passion for theater, art and the movies. He moved to Toronto to study film and video production at York University and later moved to Los Angeles to study at the American Film Institute.
Michael began his career in Canada where his work was recognized by The National Film Board of Canada, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television and the Canadian Society of Cinematographers.
Michael’s films Fishtales and Lost & Found were received with critical acclaim at festivals in Los Angeles, Toronto, Montreal and Tel Aviv.
The Legend Of Razorback starring Academy Award® nominee Kevin McCarthy (Invasion of the Body Snatcher, Death Of A Salesman, Innerspace), won awards in Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Temecula where it won the Audience Choice Award and Houston WorldFest where it received the Eastman Kodak Scholarship Award and the Gold Special Jury Award for Best Dramatic Student Film.
Wrecked starring Academy Award® winner Adrien Brody premiered in 2010 at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival and was distributed by IFC Films. In 2012, Michael co-wrote and directed the Kill For Me starring Katie Cassidy and Donal Logue. The film was loosely based on Strangers on a Train and Single White Female, and was released in 2013.
SEAT 23B had its world premiere at the L.A. Shorts International Film Festival in July 2023.
STAR-CROSSED had its world premiere in July 2025 and has since screened at over 25 film festivals worldwide.
Michael also teaches filmmaking at The Los Angeles Film School and at Chapman University.
Awards and honors Film Festival Awards & NominationsYearStar-CrossedNorwescon Speculative Film FestWINNER - Best Science Fiction film2026Sci-On Film FestivalWINNER - Area 51 Award2026FP Arts Short Film FestivalNOMINATED - Best Short Film2026The Galactic Imaginarium Film FestivalWINNER - Best Comedy/Parody Short Film WINNER - TGIFF Award 2025Happy Fright Film FestivalWINNER - Best Horror/Sci-Fi2025MystiCon Independent Film FestivalNOMINATED - Finalist - Best Short Film2025Zed Fest Film Festival & Screenplay CompetitionNOMINATED - Semi-Finalist - Best Short Film2025Nashville Film Festival Pitch CompetitionNOMINATED - Semi-Finalist - Best Short Film2025SModcastle Film Festival
FilmQuest
Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival
Slash and Bash Horror Sci-Fi Film Festival
Anomaly - The Rochester Genre Film Festival
LUSCA Fantastic Film Fest
Scream Horror Film Festival, New Orleans
Grand Rapids Comic Con Film Festival
Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival
The Minnesota Genre Film Exposition
Pensacon Short Film Festival
Dam Short Film Festival
May 4 Sci-fi Film Festival
Indy Film Fest
Gasparilla International Film Festival
Awesome Con Short Film Festival
Origins Film Festival
Panic FestOfficial Selection2025, 2026Seat 23BBurbank International Film FestivalOfficial Selection2024Beyond Hollywood International Film FestivalWINNER - Best Thriller 2024North Hollywood CinefestWINNER - Best Director NOMINATED - Best Actor NOMINATED - Best Thriller 2023L.A Shorts International Film FestivalOfficial Selection2023Torino Underground CinefestOfficial Selection2023WreckedShanghai International Film FestivalOfficial Selection2011Whistler Film FestivalNOMINATED - Best Canadian Feature2010Abu Dhabi Film FestivalOfficial Selection - New Horizons Competition2010The Legend of RazorbackTemecula Valley Film FestivalWINNER - Audience Choice Award2003Fort Lauderdale International Film FestivalOfficial Selection2003Rochester International Film FestivalWINNER - Shoestring Award2003American Society of CinematographersNOMINATED - John F. Seitz Heritage Award for Outstanding Cinematography2003Palm Springs International Festival of Short FilmsOfficial Selection2003Milwaukee International Film FestivalOfficial Selection2003St. Louis International Film FestivalOfficial Selection2003Newport Beach International Film FestivalOfficial Selection2003Pacific Palisades Film FestivalOfficial Selection2003Seh Suchte International Student Film FestivalOfficial Selection2003Flicker Film FestivalOfficial Selection2003Yorkton Short Film and Video FestivalNOMINATED - Best Production NOMINATED - Best Actor2003International Hollywood Student Film FestivalWINNER - Best Cinematography2003Lost & FoundTel Aviv International Student Film FestivalOfficial Selection 2000Canadian Society of CinematographersWINNER - Best Cinematography2000Palm Springs International Short Film Festival MarketOfficial Selection 2000The Academy of Canadian Cinema and TelevisionPost-Graduate Filmmaker’s Scholarship, Apprenticeship Grant2000FishtalesTVO Telefest AwardsWINNER - Best Student Short Film HONORABLE MENTION - Best Student Comedy1999CANPROWINNER - Best Performing Arts and Entertainment Award WINNER - Best Educational Program Award1999Montreal World Student Film FestivalOfficial Selection1999National Film Board of CanadaAWARDED - Filmmaker Apprenticeship1998
Filmography +YearTitleRoleDistributor2025Star-CrossedProducer2024Something Out ThereProducer, Director, Editor2023Seat 23BProducer, Director, EditorYouTube, Stash Films2013Kill For MeCo-Writer, DirectorSony2010WreckedDirectorIFC Films2002The Legend of RazorbackDirectorDark Matter Films1999Lost & FoundProducer, Director1998FishtalesWriter, Producer, Director
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