Daniel Straub | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Daniel Straub (1995-03-01) March 1, 1995 |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
Daniel Straub is an American documentary filmmaker. He directed Out of Plain Sight, a feature documentary for the Los Angeles Times about ocean dumping off the coast of Los Angeles, and the short documentary A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil about the Loti Pencil in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Early Life
Straub was inspired to make films by watching the behind the scenes documentary for Raiders of the Lost Ark by Laurent Bouzereau.1
Career
Straub began his directing career with Out of Plain Sight, a feature documentary about the ocean disposal of waste from the manufacturing of DDT. The film premiered at DOC NYC in November 2024.2
His next project, A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil told the story of the creation of the Loti Pencil sculpture in Minneapolis. It premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival where it won Best Short Documentary.3 The film was also an official selection of the 2026 Minneapolis Saint Paul International Film Festival4the RiverRun International Film Festival5, the Berkshire International Film Festival, and the Nantucket Film Festival.6
Accolades
| Festival/Organisation | Date | Award/Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara International Film Festival | February 15, 2025 | Audience Choice Award | Out of Plain Sight | Won | 7 |
| Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital | March 29, 2025 | Shared Earth Foundation Award | Won | 8 | |
| International Wildlife Film Festival | April 15, 2025 | Best Feature | Won | 9 | |
| Mendocino Film Festival | May 29, 2025 | Special Jury Award for Environmental Justice | Won | 10 | |
| Berkshire International Film Festival | June 1, 2025 | Documentary Jury Award - Honorable Mention | Won | 11 | |
| Berkshire International Film Festival | June 2, 2025 | Audience Award | Won | 11 | |
| Woods Hole Film Festival | August 2, 2025 | Director's Choice Award for Fortitude in Filmmaking | Won | 12 | |
| Jackson Wild Media Awards | August 4, 2025 | Investigative | Won | 12 | |
| Jackson Wild Media Awards | August 4, 2025 | Science & Nature - Long Form | Finalist | 12 | |
| Coast Film Festival | November 15, 2025 | MacGillivray Freeman Environmental Filmmaker Award | Won | 13 | |
| Santa Barbara International Film Festival | February 14, 2026 | Best Short Documentary | A Short Documentary About A Giant Pencil | Won | 3 |
Filmography
Feature films
| Year | Title | Director | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Out of Plain Sight | Yes | Yes |
Short films
| Year | Title | Director | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil | Yes | Yes |
References
References
- "The Filmmaker Four: Daniel Straub". Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- Eler, Alicia (October 11, 2025). "Minneapolis' 20-foot-tall pencil dressed as Vikings star for Halloween". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- Garner, Glen (February 14, 2026). "Santa Barbara Film Festival Winners: 'Steal This Story, Please' Takes Audience Choice Award – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- "MSPIFF45 FILM LINEUP ANNOUNCED!". Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- "RiverRun International Film Festival 2026 Calendar". Retrieved March 19, 2026.
- "A Short Documentary About A Giant Pencil". Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- Tangcay, Jazz; Minton, Matt; Lee, Abigail; Coates, Lauren (February 15, 2025). "'Out of Plain Sight,' 'O Horizon' and 'Road of Fire' Among 2025 Santa Barbara International Film Festival Winners – Film News in Brief". Variety. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
- @dceff_org (February 18, 2025). "We are thrilled to announce this year's Shared Earth Foundation Award winner and Closing Night Selection - @outofplainsightfilm". Instagram. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
- "2025 Winners". wildlifefilms.org. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- Mendocino Film Festival (May 30, 2025). "Congratulations to Out of Plain Sight - winner of our 2025 Environmental Justice Award". Facebook. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- "The Berkshire International Film Festival Wraps Spectacular Nineteenth Year Paying Tribute to Award-Winning Actor Brian Cox, Screening 75 Films, With Dozens of Filmmakers, Tea Talks and Events!". Facebook. Berkshire International Film Festival. June 3, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- "2025 Festival Awards". woodsholefilmfestival.org. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- Coast Film and Music Festival (November 15, 2025). "As we continue to bask in the high of last week's seventh annual Coast Film & Music Festival, we are excited to announce this years award winners". Instagram. Retrieved December 1, 2025.