Rob Schmidt Biography

Date of Birth: September 25, 1965

Rob Schmidt received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1990 from the State University of New York. While there, he wrote and directed a 12-minute short film called Earl's Demise (1989), then in 1992, while studying at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, he wrote and directed Saturn, a 25-minute narrative film. Both films were shown at film festivals around the U.S., and the budding director began to make a name for himself.

He proved his versatility by worked behind the scenes on several movies as a gaffer, a grip and an electrician, while getting a start in directing with music videos and commercials. His first full-length film was an independent called Saturn (1999) starring Scott Caan and Mia Kirshner, but his next directorial effort, Crime and Punishment in Suburbia (2000), received more acclaim, receiving nominations for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the Grand Special Prize at the Deauville Film Festival.

Schmidt made his television directing debut with the Fox TV series American Town (2001), starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas, then returned to the big screen for the horror film Wrong Turn (2003) starring Eliza Dushku.

Filmography:

Wrong Turn (2003)
Crime and Punishment in Suburbia (2000)