Randal Kleiser

Randal Kleiser is an American film and television director, producer, and screenwriter whose career spans more than five decades of Hollywood storytelling. His career began when his award-winning USC master's thesis, "Peege," was seen by executives at Universal, who signed him to begin directing for television. Unusual for a student film at the time, he cast veteran television actors in lead roles, and his ability to direct these actors garnered him attention from executives at Universal Television, which led to his first professional job directing episodes of "Marcus Welby, M.D." He also directed television movies such as "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" and "The Gathering," for which he received an Emmy nomination for outstanding directing in a special program – drama or comedy.

Kleiser was tapped to direct his first feature film, "Grease," in large part because of John Travolta's recommendation based on their work together on "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble." The blockbuster musical became one of the highest-grossing films of its era and launched Kleiser into the front ranks of Hollywood directors. He went on to direct several more feature films, including "The Blue Lagoon" with Brooke Shields, "Summer Lovers" with Daryl Hannah, "Grandview, U.S.A." with Jamie Lee Curtis, "Flight of the Navigator"—featuring the first use of digital morphing in a film—"Big Top Pee-wee," "White Fang," and "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid." In London, he directed the comedy "Getting It Right," starring Lynn Redgrave, Helena Bonham Carter, Jane Horrocks, and Sir John Gielgud.

His drama "It's My Party," exploring AIDS and LGBTQ+ experiences, earned a GLAAD Media Award nomination for outstanding film (limited release), highlighting its impact on queer representation in cinema. In recognition of his contributions to LGBTQ+-themed films, Kleiser received the Filmmaker Career Achievement (Lifetime) Award from FilmOut San Diego. HarperCollins published his first book, "Grease: The Director's Notebook."

Kleiser has remained at the forefront of emerging cinematic technologies throughout his career. He wrote and directed the 360-degree virtual reality series "Defrost: The Virtual Series," featuring Carl Weathers, Bruce Davison, and Harry Hamlin, which was shown at the Sundance Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival. Working with Paramount and Intel Studios, he directed the Lumiere Award-winning project "Grease XR," an augmented reality experience using 20 dancers captured volumetrically. He has also spent several years working with George Lucas to create The Nina Foch Course for Filmmakers and Actors, an instructional video for aspiring actors, writers, and filmmakers.

Beyond his directing work, Kleiser has been a dedicated advocate for film education and industry leadership. He serves as a judge on the Student Awards for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and as chairman of the academic subcommittee for the Directors Guild of America, he inaugurated a videoconferencing program to connect film classes with working directors. He has served eight terms on the national board and 17 terms on the Western Directors Council of the DGA. Drawing on a lifetime of filmmaking, Kleiser offers lectures that blend personal stories with practical insights, encouraging filmmakers to find their voice, sharpen their craft, and embrace new creative tools.