Biography

Zachary Beckler is an award-winning filmmaker specializing in narrative genre cinema as well as digital post-production and sound design. His short films have screened at festivals around the world, including Fantastic Fest, Florida Film Festival, Imagine: Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival and Dead By Dawn Scotland International Film Festival.

INTERIOR, Zachary’s feature-length debut, won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Horror Feature at the renowned Shriekfest Film Festival in LA, Best Florida Feature at the Freak Show Horror Film Festival, Best Thriller at the Atlanta Horror Film Festival and the Grand Jury Prize at the StarLite Film Festival, who called it “one of the best films ever made about digital filmmaking.” It was also an Official Selection of the Chattanooga Film Festival, Knoxville Horror Film Festival and NYC Horror Film Festival.

Zachary holds a BFA in Film Production and an MFA in Entrepreneurial Digital Cinema from the University of Central Florida, where he taught courses in production and cinema studies. He was also a panelist for the UCF College of Arts and Humanities Creative Speaker Series on Digital Horror.

Education

• M.F.A. in Film from University of Central Florida (2014)

Research Interests

• Narrative Genre Cinema
• Digital Cinema
• Editing
• Post-Production Workflow
• Sound Design
• Color Correction
• VFX

Awards

“Interior” (2014, Feature)

• 2015 Winner, Grand Jury Prize, Best Horror Feature, Shriekfest Film Festival
• 2015 Winner, Best Director, New York City Horror Film Festival
• 2015 Winner, Best Sound Design, New York City Horror Film Festival
• 2015 Winner, Audience Award, Knoxville Horror Film Festival
• 2015 Winner, Grand Jury Prize, StarLite Film Festival
• 2014 Winner, Best Florida Feature, Freak Show Horror Film Festival
• 2014 Winner, Best Thriller Feature, Atlanta Horror Film Festival

“Where Is Alice?” (2013, Short) 

• 2015 Runner-Up, Best Domestic College Short, StarLite Film Festival
• 2014 Winner, Best Regional Short Film, Knoxville Horror Film Festival
• 2014 Winner, Best Director, Atlanta Horror Film Festival
• 2013 Winner, Jury Selection, Brouhaha Film and Video Showcase

“Séance” (2011, Short)

• 2013 Nominated, Best Short Film, Fright Meter Awards
• 2012 Winner, Creepiest Film, Knoxville Horror Film Fest
• 2012 Winner, Audience Award Best Student Film, Charlotte Horror Fest
• 2011 Winner, Jury Selection, Brouhaha Film and Video Showcase

Activities

• Chair of Undergraduate Film Curriculum Committee
• Graduate Film Curriculum Committee
• Film B.F.A Portfolio Reviewer