Brett Haley

Brett Haley (born c. 1983) is an esteemed American filmmaker and actor, profoundly celebrated for his intricate pieces of work on 'The Hero' and 'Hearts Beat Loud'. Originally born in Illinois, Haley was fostered in both Key West, Florida, and Pensacola, Florida. He unraveled his exuberant interest in filmmaking in his childhood, evident with him creating films from as young as age 9, declaring himself as a 'natural storyteller'. Additionally, he attributes his intrigue in this particular field to his older brother, Joshua Ferris, who introduced him to immersing classics like 'True Romance' and 'Angel Heart'. His distinct preferences were also influenced by exhilarating 80s and 90s action films, such as Alien, Terminator and Die Hard.

Haley embarked on his formal filmmaking education in 2001 at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking, specializing in directing. Immediately after his graduation in 2005, Haley relocated to Los Angeles to garner experience as a production assistant but shortly moved to Brooklyn after discerning that this method was not for him. His first feature film, 'The New Year', a collaborated piece with his sister-in-law, was completed on a tight budget of $5,000. This film premiered at the prestigious Sarasota Film Festival in 2010 and walked away and the winner of the 'Audience Award for Best Narrative Film'. Haley then directed 'I'll See You in My Dreams' in 2015, which impressively premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, winning prominent awards at the Louisiana Film Festival. He later went on to co-write and direct two more high-profile movies; 'The Hero' premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and 'Hearts Beat Loud' premiered at both the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and the 2018 South By Southwest Film Festival.