Daniel Kreizberg

Unaffiliated

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it?
The animated short film Tahlequah the Whale: A Dance of Grief is my directorial debut, for which I led an international co-production featuring an Emmy® and Grammy® award-winning team. It premiered in May 2023 at the Oscar®-qualifying Animayo International Film Festival in Gran Canaria, Spain, where it was awarded the “Special Mention of the Festival” and described as a “masterpiece” by the selection committee. The film continues to travel the festival circuit and counts Dr. Jane Goodall among its environmental supporters.

How did you get into directing?
In 2019, I graduated from NYU with an acting degree. In 2020, the pandemic upended my ability to perform, so I began teaching myself some of the basics of shooting and editing, while developing several scripts. One of those scripts was for Tahlequah the Whale: A Dance of Grief, and when Meinart Animation Studio agreed to enter into a co-production agreement with me, I became attached as the film’s director.

What is your most recent project?
The animated short film Tahlequah the Whale: A Dance of Grief is my directorial debut and most recent project.

What is the best part of being a director?
Conceiving of a unique, expressive, perhaps radially beautiful vision, and marshaling a team of creatives towards the realization of that dream.

Tell us about your background (i.e., where did you grow up? Past jobs?)
I was born in Berlin, Germany, and spent my childhood in Colorado and Monte Carlo before settling in New York City as a teenager. I come from a family that is renowned in the classical music world, but that also suffered several significant losses. It is for this reason that music is an important part of my work, and that grief is a subject I am dedicated to exploring.

Contact

• Daniel Kreizberg, Email: daniel@danielkreizberg.com