Destin Daniel Cretton was born and raised in Maui, Hawaii, where he spent 3 of his summers picking pineapples in the fields near his home. He has a BA in Communications from Point Loma Nazarene University and completed his Masters in Film at San Diego State University. He’s written and directed 4 award-winning short films: Longbranch: A Suburban Parable (Premiered at the 2002 Tribeca Film Festival), Bartholomew’s Song (2006 Student Academy Finalist), Deacon’s Mondays (2007 Student Academy Finalist, 2007 Angelus Winner, HBO Films Best Student Film Award), and Short Term 12, which won the U.S. Jury Prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, followed by top awards at Seattle International, Aspen Shorts Fest, Independent Film Festival Boston, CineVegas, GenArt, and was short-listed for the 2010 Academy Awards. His feature film debut I am Not a Hipster premiered to critical acclaim at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Along with his narrative work, Destin has also directed two feature-length documentaries. Drakmar: A Vassal’s Journey premiered on HBO Family in 2007 and won the Best Documentary Award at the 2006 Comic Con. Born Without Arms premiered on TLC/Discovery in 2009. The script for Destin’s second feature Short Term 12 (based on the short of the same title) was one of five to win a 2010 Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
