Kat Candler (Writer, Director): In 1996, Candler graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Creative Writing and a love for storytelling. Through her friends at the FSU film school, she got sucked into the world of film. In 2000 Candler debuted her first feature film cicadas at the Austin Heart of Film Festival where it picked up the audience award for Best Feature Narrative. cicadas went on to screen at several festivals picking up more awards and eventually airing on PBS.

Her scripts have placed in numerous screenplay competitions including as a final in the 2002 Chesterfield Fellowship Competition, a Semi-Finalist in the 2002 Sundance Screenwriter's Lab and a participant in the 2002 IFP Market's Emerging Narrative Section for her second feature script, jumping off bridges. Her family comedy script, Brain Brawl, was selected for the 2004 IFP Market’s Emerging Narrative Section, was a Quarter Finalist in the 2004 Slamdance Screenplay Competition, and won the Grand Prize at the 2005 Rhode Island International Film Festival Screenplay Competition.

In 2004, Candler’s short film, Roberta Wells, about an old woman jonesing for a cigarette premiered at the 2004 Slamdance Film Festival and was chosen for the 2004 Best of Slamdance Shorts Compilation DVD. It later screened on the PBS program “The Territory” and IFC.com.

In 2005 Candler joined Storie Productions to direct jumping off bridges. jumping off bridges premiered at the 2006 South By Southwest Film festival, was a participant in the 2005 IFP Rough Cuts Lab, a recipient of a 2005 Texas Filmmaker’s Production Fund Grant, a 2007 Prism Award Commendation for Mental Health in Motion Picture and a 2007 Heroes in the Fight Award. In the fall of 2006, Storie Productions self distributed jumping off bridges in theaters across the U.S. teamed with suicide prevention and mental health organizations. It later aired on PBS and is now being distributed through New Day Films with producer Stacy Schoolfield at the helm of the distribution efforts.

Candler's short film, Quarter to Noon was an official selection for the 2009 Women in Film International Touring Showcase. It was also selected as part of the 2009 Texas Filmmaker's Showcase featured at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival, Austin Film Festival and Houston Museum of Modern Art. Most recently, Quarter to Noon screened on the PBS series The Territory across Texas.

Candler's latest award winning short film, Love Bug has been playing across the country at comedy and children's film festival including the Tribeca Cinema Kid's Club series, Florida Film Festival and the Austin Film Festival where it picked up the Audience Award for Best Narrative Short Film. 

She was a participant in the 2009 Tribeca All Access Program with her feature script The Spider in the Bathtub. The Spider in the Bathtub was recently optioned to LAF Studios and producers Victoria Fredrick and Terrence Howard with Candler attached to direct. Candler also recently optioned a teen thriller screenplay, Love Me, to Dolphin Entertainment and Bill O'Dowd (Zoey 101, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, Roxy Hunter), long time Nickelodeon collaborators.   

Candler has done commercial work for Dell through Arts and Labor Productions. 

Candler has been teaching film classes and camps since 2001. She's worked with Expanding Your Horizons Youth Conference, Video Association of Dallas, Southwest Alternative Media Project, American Youthworks, The Austin Film Society, The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, Skill Point Alliance and The Austin School of Film. She helped create and teach the Austin-based Summer Film Camp for Girls. She's currently a Lecturer at the University of Texas and teaches her own classes at Arts and Labor Productions.