Daniel Straub

Daniel Straub
Born
Daniel Straub

(1995-03-01) March 1, 1995
OccupationFilmmaker

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.

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.[1]

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.[2] The film was also an official selection of the 2026 Minneapolis Saint Paul International Film Festival[3]and the RiverRun International Film Festival.[4]

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 [5]
Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital March 29, 2025 Shared Earth Foundation Award Won [6]
International Wildlife Film Festival April 15, 2025 Best Feature Won [7]
Mendocino Film Festival May 29, 2025 Special Jury Award for Environmental Justice Won [8]
Berkshire International Film Festival June 1, 2025 Documentary Jury Award - Honorable Mention Won [9]
Berkshire International Film Festival June 2, 2025 Audience Award Won [9]
Woods Hole Film Festival August 2, 2025 Director's Choice Award for Fortitude in Filmmaking Won [10]
Jackson Wild Media Awards August 4, 2025 Investigative Won [10]
Jackson Wild Media Awards August 4, 2025 Science & Nature - Long Form Finalist [10]
Coast Film Festival November 15, 2025 MacGillivray Freeman Environmental Filmmaker Award Won [11]
Santa Barbara International Film Festival February 14, 2026 Best Short Documentary A Short Documentary About A Giant Pencil Won [2]

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

  1. ^ Eler, Alicia (October 11, 2025). "Minneapolis' 20-foot-tall pencil dressed as Vikings star for Halloween". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  2. ^ a b 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.
  3. ^ "MSPIFF45 FILM LINEUP ANNOUNCED!". Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  4. ^ "RiverRun International Film Festival 2026 Calendar". Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ @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.
  7. ^ "2025 Winners". wildlifefilms.org. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
  8. ^ Mendocino Film Festival (May 30, 2025). "Congratulations to Out of Plain Sight - winner of our 2025 Environmental Justice Award". Facebook. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  9. ^ a b "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.
  10. ^ a b c "2025 Festival Awards". woodsholefilmfestival.org. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
  11. ^ 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.