Writer, Director, Producer, and Founder.

Tyler Rabinowitz tells stories that uncover the extraordinary hidden in everyday life. A graduate of NYU Tisch, he has spent his life moving from place to place—Coral Springs, to Wellington, to Manhattan, to a cross-country tour bus, to Brooklyn, back to Manhattan, back to Wellington, to Los Angeles, to Palm Springs, and now West Hollywood—nearly 25 addresses along the way, each shaping the way he sees the world. But his roots remain in Coral Springs. Turtle Run is named after the suburban neighborhood where he spent his earliest years—a quiet Florida cul-de-sac, his parents’ starter home, his first memories. It’s both a nod to where he came from and a reflection of his fascination with the relationship between people and the places they call home.

Tyler’s connection to storytelling was first recognized by his second-grade teacher, Ms. Simmons. Shy and socially anxious, he rarely spoke in class, and she worried about him—until she read the stories he wrote. She called his parents and told them: "Tyler is an artist, and storytelling is the way he communicates and makes sense of the world." From that day forward, his parents made it their mission to help him discover that for himself, enrolling him in their local arts school.

Since then, his work has been recognized by some of the most prestigious institutions in independent cinema. As a producer, his short film "Lavender" premiered at Sundance, was acquired by Searchlight Pictures, and qualified for the 2020 Academy Awards, while "The Mess He Made" premiered at SXSW. As a writer-director, his short "See You Soon" earned a Vimeo Staff Pick, a Special Jury Mention at NewFest, and an Audience Award at Palm Springs ShortFest, later premiering on Short of the Week. His work has been recognized by the Academy Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship (2020 Semifinalist), and supported by the Sundance Ignite Fellowship, Tribeca Film Institute All Access Grant, and the Jacob Burns Film Center Creative Culture Fellowship. As a director, his film "Catalina" premiered at Outfest, also debuting on Short of the Week, featuring original music by Golden Globe nominated songwriter Leland.

Perhaps most proudly, eight years ago, Tyler went into not-insignificant debt to produce Chappell Roan’s debut music video "Good Hurt," among other projects that pushed boundaries, depleted his bank account, and amplified underrepresented voices he believed in. After watching Tyler try to hide a panic attack at the craft services table, Chappell’s dad gave him a pep talk and said he was destined to be a "great businessman" someday.

We’ll see.

Though Tyler’s films have spanned various settings—from the streets of NYC, to the cliffs of Catalina Island, to a no-budget spaceship set made out of a greenhouse—his storytelling is rooted in queer longing, painterly frames, and a grounded emotional core, traversing gray areas in search of life’s most vivid truths. Whether capturing the longing glances of a fleeting weekend-long romance, the comfort of a camping trip with childhood friends, or the whimsy of a curious alien on a spaceship who discovers a jukebox, tap shoes, and humanity’s music for the first time, Tyler’s work invites audiences to see the magic in the mundane and the wonder woven into the fabric of our lives.

When he’s not on set, you may find Tyler journaling on his rooftop, camping at a music festival, watching the same 10 movies he’s seen 100 times, losing at game night, occasionally winning at flag football, watching the sunset at Barnsdall Park while listening to Fred Again.., or flooding his family group chat with random, hyper-specific memories. More often than not, though, he’s at his desk, plugging away at the keys of his nearly 10-year-old laptop, hoping it doesn’t crash while he works tirelessly to get his upcoming projects off the ground.

Five years into developing his first feature-length film while simultaneously building other long-form projects, Tyler hopes to expand his work across all mediums and genres—a lifelong creative construction project that, when all is said and done, builds out a world of stories that inspire people to look closer and feel deeper.

Let's not end this bio without addressing the elephant in the room: to afford pursuing his dreams, Tyler has worked nearly as many day jobs as he’s had addresses, including stints as a Sesame Street intern, SAT tutor, spin instructor at a SoulCycle knockoff, concert videographer, TA for a "Science of Happiness" class, and leader of Jungian dream analysis groups. These days, he works as a pitch deck designer, helping other filmmakers land financing for feature films, win ad campaigns, and greenlight television projects.