Craig Lief is an accomplished filmmaker, passionately devoted to his craft. Throughout his youth he was always that kid with the camera, shooting everything he could. However, it wasn’t until attending the University of Colorado, Boulder that he truly discovered what he wanted to do with his passion, creating fiction content. He graduated top of his class, magna cum laude, with high distinction. Craig continued his education as a graduate student at USC’s prestigious School of Cinematic Arts (SCA). At SCA, he was a Teacher’s Assistant (TA) for nine classes. As a TA, he was the first point of contact for the students. He gave feedback on scripts, dailies, edits, and helped solve any problem that may arise. Craig currently teaches film production at the Lee Strasberg Institute in West Hollywood.
On the production side of things, Craig has Co-directed a feature film titled Phantom (2023) which is currently in post production. He also co-wrote a feature titled, Jack and Lou: A Gangster Love Story which is going into production this fall. One of Craig’s short film scripts, Hardcore Halbert, was funded and produced in SCA’s Advanced Filmmaking class and has been to over a dozen festivals worldwide.
As a child from a broken home, Craig knows how difficult life can be, yet at the same time, he knows that people are strong and can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Because of this experience, he thrives when involved with projects about characters who are outsiders who come up against everything life throws their way. Craig is excited about his future as a filmmaker and for all of the adept collaborators he will join forces with along his journey.