Biography and education
Bryan Poyser is a two-time Independent Spirit Award nominee and has screened his four feature films at major film festivals like Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, Slamdance and BFI London. He’s also made numerous short films as well as projects for Comedy Central, the USA Network, Ridley Scott Associates and HBO.
Bryan’s newest feature film, LEADS, shot with the involvement of over 50 Texas State students, alumni and faculty, was awarded a 2024 Austin Film Society Grant and had its World Premiere in US Narrative Competition at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. Also in 2025, it screened at the Austin Film Festival, Centre Film Festival, the Film Festival at Hollywood Park where it won the Best Ensemble Cast Award and the Lone Star Film Festival where it won the Audience Award.
Bryan's second feature LOVERS OF HATE, distributed by IFC Films, premiered in the US Dramatic Competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards. Bryan was previously nominated for the Independent Spirit “Someone to Watch” Award in 2005 for his first feature, DEAR PILLOW. Bryan’s third feature, the Austin-set romantic comedy LOVE & AIR SEX, premiered at 2013 SXSW Film Festival and was theatrically released by Tribeca Films.
His 2022 short film, DON’T YOU GO NOWHERE, played at nearly 40 film festivals around the world and won 18 awards. In 2011, he wrote and directed THE FICKLE for the “Character Project,” an online short film series produced by the USA Network and Ridley Scott Associates. He wrote an episode of the Duplass Brothers HBO series ROOM 104 which aired in the Fall of 2020.
Bachelor of Science, University of Texas-Austin, Radio-TV-Film, 1996
Bryan’s newest feature film, LEADS, shot with the involvement of over 50 Texas State students, alumni and faculty, was awarded a 2024 Austin Film Society Grant and had its World Premiere in US Narrative Competition at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. Also in 2025, it screened at the Austin Film Festival, Centre Film Festival, the Film Festival at Hollywood Park where it won the Best Ensemble Cast Award and the Lone Star Film Festival where it won the Audience Award.
Bryan's second feature LOVERS OF HATE, distributed by IFC Films, premiered in the US Dramatic Competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards. Bryan was previously nominated for the Independent Spirit “Someone to Watch” Award in 2005 for his first feature, DEAR PILLOW. Bryan’s third feature, the Austin-set romantic comedy LOVE & AIR SEX, premiered at 2013 SXSW Film Festival and was theatrically released by Tribeca Films.
His 2022 short film, DON’T YOU GO NOWHERE, played at nearly 40 film festivals around the world and won 18 awards. In 2011, he wrote and directed THE FICKLE for the “Character Project,” an online short film series produced by the USA Network and Ridley Scott Associates. He wrote an episode of the Duplass Brothers HBO series ROOM 104 which aired in the Fall of 2020.
Bachelor of Science, University of Texas-Austin, Radio-TV-Film, 1996
Featured grants
- Poyser, Bryan Kennedy. Grant for film festival travel, Department of Theatre & Dance, Texas State University, $1100. (Funded: September 17, 2024 - August 1, 2025). Grant.
- Poyser, Bryan Kennedy. Austin Film Society Grant for feature film LEADS, Austin Film Society, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $7000. (Funded: September 13, 2024). Grant.
- Poyser, Bryan Kennedy (Principal). Texas Film and Video Grant, Texas Filmmakers, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $1000. (Funded: 2008). Grant.
- Poyser, Bryan Kennedy (Principal). Texas Filmmakers' Production Fund, Austin Film Society, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $7000. (Funded: 2002 - 2003). Grant.
- Poyser, Bryan Kennedy (Principal). Texas Filmmakers' Production Fund, Austin Film Society, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $2000. (Funded: 1997). Grant.
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Writer, Director, Editor, LEADS.
December 9, 2023 - January 15, 2025.
Showings:
- AFS Works-in-Progress Screening. August 7, 2024 Austin Public/Austin Film Society, Austin, TX.
- Texas State Film Club Work-in-Progress Screening. September 12, 2024 Theatre Center, San Marcos, TX.
- Tribeca Festival - World Premiere. June 6, 2025 - June 9, 2025 Village East Cinema, New York, NY.
- Film Festival at Hollywood Park. October 9, 2025 Cinepolis, Inglewood, CA.
- Austin Film Festival. October 26, 2025 State Theatre, Austin, TX.
- Lone Star Film Festival. November 1, 2025 Modern Art Museum of Forth Worth, Fort Worth, TX.
- Centre Film Festival. November 10, 2025 - November 16, 2025 Virtual Screenings, State College, PA.
- Carrboro Film Festival. January 23, 2026 Drakeford Library Complex, Carrboro, NC.
- writer, director, editor, DON'T YOU GO NOWHERE.
December 14, 2021 - August 25, 2024.
Showings:
- Hill Country Film Festival. June 4, 2022 Fredericksburg, TX.
- LA Shorts International Film Festival. July 27, 2022 Laemmle North Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA.
- Sidewalk Film Festival. August 27, 2022 Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL.
- Crested Butte Film Festival. September 22, 2022 Center for the Arts Crested Butte, Crested Butte, CO.
- Woodstock Film Festival. October 1, 2022 Woodstock Community Center, Woodstock, NY.
- Film Fest Tucson. October 15, 2022 AC Hotel Tucson Downtown, Tucson, AZ.
- Newport Beach Film Festival. October 19, 2022 Newport Beach, CA.
- Legacy Theatre Film Festival. September 19, 2022 - September 21, 2022 Legacy Theatre, Stony Creek, CT.
- Dallas International Film Festival. October 14, 2022 - October 20, 2022 Dallas. TX.
- Montclair Film Festival. October 21, 2022 - October 30, 2022 Montclair, NJ.
- Santa Fe International Film Festival. October 19, 2022 - October 23, 2022 Santa Fe, NM.
- Austin Film Festival. October 27, 2022 - November 3, 2022 Austin, TX.
- Sound Unseen Film Festival. November 9, 2022 - November 13, 2022 Austin, TX & Minneapolis, MN.
- Lone Star Film Festival. November 10, 2022 - November 12, 2022 Fort Worth, TX.
- Carrboro Film Festival. November 18, 2022 - November 20, 2022 Carrboro, NC.
- Denton Black Film Festival. January 25, 2023 - January 29, 2023 Denton, TX.
- Deep in the Heart Film Festival. July 20, 2023 - July 23, 2023 Waco, TX.
- Cine del Mar Film Festival. July 12, 2023 - July 16, 2023 Punta del Este, Uruguay.
- Vero Beach International Film Festival. June 7, 2023 - June 11, 2023 Vero Beach, FL.
- ATX Short Film Showcase. September 11, 2023 Austin, TX.
- Centre Film Festival. October 30, 2023 - November 5, 2023 State College, PA.
- Hell's Half-Mile Film Festival. September 21, 2023 - September 24, 2023 Bay City, MI.
- Fairhope Film Festival. November 9, 2023 - November 12, 2023 Fairhope, AL.
- Sedona International Film Festival. February 18, 2023 - February 26, 2023 Sedona, AZ.
- Annapolis Film Festival. March 23, 2023 - March 26, 2023 Annapolis, MD.
- Oxford Film Festival. March 1, 2023 - March 5, 2023 Oxford, MS.
- Independent Film Festival of Boston. April 26, 2023 - May 3, 2023 Boston, MA.
- Mendocino Film Festival. June 1, 2023 - June 4, 2023 Mendocino, CA.
- ShorTS International Film Festival. July 1, 2023 - July 8, 2023 Trieste, Italy.
- Revelation Perth Film Festival. July 12, 2023 - July 16, 2023 Perth, Australia.
- Walla Walla Movie Crush. July 7, 2023 - July 9, 2023 Walla Walla, WA.
- Music Imbizo Film Festival. August 29, 2023 - September 2, 2023 Durban, South Africa.
- Bend Film Festival. October 12, 2023 - October 15, 2023 Bend, OR.
- Texas State Film Program Faculty Screening. April 26, 2024 - Present Performing Arts Center, San Marcos, TX.
- ATX Short Film Showcase Awards Ceremony. August 25, 2024 - Present The Ballroom, Austin, TX.
- writer, ROOM 104: "Foam Party".
2019 - 2020.
Showings:
- HBO Premiere. September 2020 - Present National.
- co-writer, director, co-editor, LOVE & AIR SEX.
2012 - 2013.
Showings:
- SXSW Film Festival. March 2013 Austin, TX.
- Dallas International Film Festival. April 2013 Dallas, TX.
- BFI London Film Festival. September 2013 London, UK.
- Napa Valley Film Festival. November 2013 Napa, CA.
- writer, director, editor, LOVERS OF HATE.
2009 - 2010.
Showings:
- Sundance Film Festival. January 2010 Park City, UT.
- SXSW Film Festival. March 2010 Austin, TX.
- Dallas International Film Festival. April 2010 Dallas, TX.
- Independent Film Festival of Boston. April 2010 Boston, MA.
- Rooftop Films Screening Series. June 2010 New York, NY.
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Audience Choice Feature Award for "LEADS", 2025 Lone Star Film Festival. October 30, 2025 - November 5, 2025
- Award / Honor Recipient: Best Ensemble Cast Award for "LEADS", 2025 Film Festival at Hollywood Park. October 6, 2025 - October 12, 2025
- Award / Honor Recipient: Texas Short Filmmaker Award for "DON'T YOU GO NOWHERE", 2022 Austin Film Festival. October 30, 2022
- Award / Honor Recipient: "Best Ensemble Cast" Award for LOVE & AIR SEX, Napa Valley Film Festival. 2013
- Award / Honor Nominee: "John Cassavetes Award" for LOVERS OF HATE, Independent Spirit Awards. 2011
Featured service activities
- Chair
Assistant Professor of Film Search Committee
- Speaker
Houston Community College
- Speaker
Austin Film Society Tribute Screening to Mark Reeb
- Other
Austin Film Society Artists Intensive Program
- Judge
Indie Meme South Asian Film Festival
- Speaker
SXSW Film Festival & Conference