Finalist, 2025/2026 Top Tier Competition
BIO
TEDDY CECIL is an LA-based writer-director-producer born and raised in New York. After earning a double major in Cinema Studies and Film Production at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, Cecil started his film career as Ang Lee’s Production Assistant and mentee. He then founded the production company Shadow Council Productions in 2011 and created Shadow Council Animation in 2018, where he has directed, produced, and animated hit music videos for artists such as YG, 2 Chainz, Nicki Minaj, Big Sean, B-Real, and more. Personal live action works include ONLY A MOVIE! which screened at international festivals including Dances with Films, Flickers Rhode Island, SCAD, Maryland Film Festival (“Best Film” Nominee) and Santa Monica Film Festival (“Audience Award” Winner), and HELIO, a short film which garnered millions of views online, won over 40 awards, including Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film at Comic-Con 2016 and was praised by critics at publications like IndieWire, MovieMaker Magazine, Film Fervor and FilmBuzz. In 2022, Teddy co-founded the production company, Bearpants, Inc., with his wife and collaborative filmmaker, Jean E. Lee, who together are raising a newborn baby and a wild cat.