Brant Rotnem is an actor, director, writer, and editor whose original micro-series "Hidden Canyons" was the first fully-produced series on Tiktok and garnered 7 million+ views. "Hidden Canyons" has won multiple awards including the Outfest Audience Award. With a background in environmental consulting and theater, Brant believes that narrative media can play an important role in shifting perspectives on climate. He is an advocate within the LGBTQ+ community, and believes in using his work to elevate diverse and underrepresented voices within the community.

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Brant was born and raised in Weston, Massachusetts. His love for performance began at the age of 9, after being cast in his school's gold rush play as the narrating bison. He studied under director and playwright John Minigan, and won the Massachusetts High School Drama Guild Scholarship Award before attending UC Berkeley’s Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies program. At Berkeley, he trained with Lura Dolas and Chris Herold, and was awarded the Eisner Prize for Excellence in Acting. 

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His professional career began in San Francisco, starring in crime re-enactment series including I (Almost) Got Away With It; Murder Book; My Crazy Ex, and Tabloid with Jerry Springer. He also starred as Chris Kessmore in the Lumos Films feature "The After". While living in San Francisco, he performed at the New Conservatory Theatre Center, Brava Theatre, Exit Theatre, and CalShakes. His theater career continued in Los Angeles with productions at the Santa Monica Playhouse, Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, Stella Adler Theater, Circle X Theatre Co., and Shakespeare By The Sea. 

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In 2015, he was cast opposite SAG-Award Winner Clea Duvall in the feature film Heaven's Floor, which screened at Cinequest and the Newport Beach Film Festival. In 2016 and 2017, he worked on two films with Blind Hummingbird Productions, Silicon Beach and Surfer's Paradise, in Los Angeles and Prague. Silicon Beach debuted at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

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He originated the role of German priest Martin Luther in the hip hop musical Legacy: A Musical Indictment by playwright November Christine. The production won “Best of Fest” at the New York Musicals Festival, and Brant went on to star in an off-Broadway production at the HERE Arts Center, and at Rich Mix in London.

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In 2019, Brant was cast in the 4th Season of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, and worked opposite Jeremy Glazer in the multiple award-winning short film On the Ride.

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In 2020 and 2021, he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in two seasons of the LGBTQ+ micro-series Hidden Canyons, a viral sensation with over 7 million views. The first fully-produced series on Tiktok, Hidden Canyons has been lauded for its innovative use of social media, sharp narrative and comedy, insightful lens on LGBTQ+ issues, and tight one-minute format. The series has been covered in Deadline, The Advocate, Film Daily, Digital Spy, The Homophilia Podcast, OUTLoud Culture, and OutFront Magazine.

 

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In 2021, Brant directed "AQI 302", a short narrative film about friends celebrating an important anniversary in an altered climate landscape. The film was written and shot in 24 hours, and debuted at the Portland International Film Festival. "AQI 302" has won multiple awards at environmental film festivals.

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In 2022, he starred in independent horror feature "Extramundane" as Trevor Wilkinson, a property manager investigating a series of disturbing events within his building. The film was distributed by Indie Rights, Inc. and streams on Amazon, Tubi, and Google Play.

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