As Executive Director and Founder of Haydenfilms LLC and Haydenfilms Institute, Hayden Craddolph has always been an avid film lover. A native of Philadelphia, Craddolph was born into a multi-layered family consisting of military veterans, educators, athletes, and film aficionados. Despite constant travel in his childhood due to his father’s military career, Craddolph considers himself to be a lifelong denizen of the Lehigh Valley, PA.
After graduating from Kutztown University with a degree in Business Administration and Finance, Craddolph found himself working as a broker on Wall Street rather than a film producer in Hollywood. However, upon returning to Kutztown to pursue his Master’s Degree, he was encouraged to consider the Electronic Media program. Curious and excited, he took up the challenge.
While crafting his thesis project, Craddolph envisioned an interactive, virtual film festival and a universally-accessible forum where filmmakers from across the globe could showcase their films and vote on a winner. This idea translated into Haydenfilms LLC, which launched the first Haydenfilms Online Film Festival in 2004 with an annual $10,000 grand prize. In 2010, Craddolph transformed Haydenfilms LLC into the nonprofit Haydenfilms Institute (HFI), with a mission to empower, educate, and fund global independent and student filmmakers. HFI synergizes with students from notable universities such as NYU, USC, UCLA, Penn State University, Lehigh University, Muhlenberg College, and Kutztown University (the academic roots of HFI).
Drawing from one of his most significant influences, George Lucas, Craddolph believes filmmakers have a tremendous responsibility for the message communicated in their works. HFI helps enable beginning and veteran filmmakers alike in sharing their stories globally by providing a platform available to all filmmakers not controlled by commercial projects only, but innovative ones as well.
