Dan Lantz

Dan Lantz was born in Schenectady, NY, and moved around as a kid before settling in Philadelphia, where he still lives today with his wife and three sons. Growing up, he was interested in baseball and model airplanes, but in high school, his focus turned to filmmaking. After reading a magazine article on Industrial Light & Magic, he was inspired to create his own short film. The film won a featured spot on Dick Clark's TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes solidifying Dan's decision to pursue a life in the TV and film industry. In 2011, Lantz directed two low-budget feature-length horror films that got the attention of industry contacts. This led to him directing "Bloodrunners", a Prohibition-era vampire thriller starring Ice-T (Law & Order) with a worldwide release on all major platforms. Lantz then set out to achieve his dream of creating a film about a medieval knight in the modern day. "Alpha Rift", an action fantasy about a young slacker who discovers he is next in a long line of guardians who protect mankind against dark forces. As the era of superhero action-comedy films surged onward, Lantz adapted "Alpha Rift" from an earlier screenplay through the lens of tabletop gaming. The story's 90's origins imbue the film with a sense of nostalgia. As a tale of the eternal fight between good versus evil, it also speaks to Lantz's sensibilities as a filmmaker, "I am sincere in my storytelling and I believe in the good in people. In other words, I am a dreamer, not a cynic." His followup was horror comedy "Hayride to Hell" starring horror legends Bill Moseley and Kane Hodder. It was released in theaters in 2023. Lantz continues to make narrative films and explore filmmaking technologies.