ROB HARDY, Director/Writer/Producer
Rob Hardy, who is a past nominee of the HBO Director to Watch Award, broke into network television with his directorial debut of the Emmy Award winning show ER. Soon after, Black Enterprise Magazine listed him among the "Top 40 Entertainers Under 40" (2008). Since wrapping production on his latest film, Think Like A Man for Sony Pictures, Hardy has returned to television with directing stints on The Vampire Diaries, Bones, Criminal Minds, 90210, The Game and Single Ladies. Most recently Hardy has directed a network pilot for BET entitled Second Generation.
Hardy began his career as a high school Senior in Philadelphia, by shooting his first movie on camcorder. While pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Florida A & M University, he shot the independent film Chocolate City. This experience earned him the institution's highest honor, the Bernard Hendricks Student Leadership Award, and launched his production company Rainforest Films along with business partner Will Packer. The underground buzz on the project soon led to his controversial film Trois. Hardy not only directed and co-wrote the thriller, he was also instrumental in self-distributing the project to be the fastest Independent African American film to pass the $1 million dollar mark. After directing the sequel, Pandora's Box, he began Producing projects with business partner Will Packer, that included: Motives, Trois: The Escort, and Three Can Play that Game.
Hardy then wrote and directed the spiritually themed drama entitled The Gospel, which earned him a 2006 “Best Screenplay” nomination at the Black Movie Awards. His company Rainforest Films has gone on to produce hit studio films including: Stomp the Yard, This Christmas, Obsessed, Stomp the Yard: Homecoming and Takers. Rainforest was also listed as one of the Top 25 Money Makers in Entertainment (2007) by Black Enterprise Magazine.
The Hollywood Reporter (December 2002) listed him amongst the New Establishment of Black Power Brokers. Florida A&M University awarded him with the Meritorious Achievement Award, which is the highest honor given to a graduate. Later he received the Woody Strode / Paul Robeson Award of Excellence from his fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Hardy has since broken into reality television by creating Sprite Step Off for MTV 2 and has helped launch a new TV network called BOUNCE. This new TV channel was created with the help of Ambassador Andrew Young and Martin Luther King, III
Hardy also serves on the Advisory Board for the International Feature Project (IFP) Film Lab series. He resides in Atlanta, GA with his wife and two sons.