Stuart Ortiz

Stuart Ortiz is an American filmmaker, director, and screenwriter who has established a prominent voice within the horror genre. He first gained widespread industry recognition as one half of The Vicious Brothers, a creative filmmaking partnership formed with Colin Minihan. Together, the duo wrote and directed the 2011 found-footage horror film Grave Encounters, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, earned critical acclaim, and grew into a massive global cult hit. Following this breakthrough, Ortiz expanded the franchise by writing and executive producing Grave Encounters 2 (2012). He continued to build his filmography by co-writing the sci-fi horror thriller Extraterrestrial (2014) and co-writing and producing the post-apocalyptic thriller It Stains the Sands Red (2016), which secured the "Best Film, Midnight Extreme" award at the prestigious Sitges Film Festival. His early work is celebrated for refreshing classic genre tropes using highly effective modern suspense techniques. Most recently, Ortiz wrote, directed, and produced the acclaimed independent horror feature Strange Harvest. Initially premiering on the festival circuit at Fantastic Fest, the innovative true-crime-styled mockumentary follows two detectives tracking an occult serial killer. The film was acquired by Saban Films for its widespread release, garnering highly positive reviews from critics and horror fans alike for its unique blend of gritty realism and cosmic horror.