• About Leland Frankel

Leland Frankel is an award-winning director, screenwriter, and playwright based in Los Angeles. His work, both on stage and screen, exhibits internationally and consistently receives critical acclaim at prominent film festivals and events, including SXSW, Tribeca, Sitges, Inside Out, Fantastic Fest, and BFFs. With his profile continuing to rise, Leland returns to the Tribeca Film Festival in 2026 for the international premiere of "Brujo," a Narrative Short, written by Leland and directed by his longtime business partner and friend, Juan Zuleta. Leland’s breakout feature film as screenwriter, "Unidentified Objects" (2022), received numerous awards and recognition at prestigious film festivals. The film won Best Narrative Feature in 2022 both at L.A. Outfest and the Bushwick Film Festival; Best Feature Film and Best Actor at the 2023 Fantasmagoría Festival in Medellín; and Outstanding First Feature at the 2022 Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival. Moreover, Unidentified Objects received several nominations, including Best Feature Film at Sitges, Americana Film Fest, and the Sofia Pride Film Festival in Bulgaria. He is the founder of Shinbone Theatre Company and has worked as a writer for Adgreetz, VaynerMedia, Prologue Immersive, and Titleboy.