Mike Ott studied under Thom Andersen at CalArts where he received his MFA degree in Film/Video and began directing music videos for such bands as Pretty Girls Make Graves, The Blood Brothers, and The Cave Singers. Mike’s second feature film, Littlerock, won numerous awards, including the Audience Award at the 2010 AFI Fest, a Gotham Award, and an Independent Spirit Award. His third feature, Pearblossom Hwy, premiered at the 2012 AFI Fest in the US and at the prestigious Viennale in Austria. The film also screened in 2013 at a number of festivals abroad including the International Film Festival Rotterdam, CPHPIX in Denmark, and the Melbourne International Film Festival. Mike just completed the third installment of his “Antelope Desert Trilogy” titled Lake Los Angeles. The film had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June 2014 and took home awards for”Best Feature” “Best Actor,” and “Best Cinematography” at the Las Vegas Film Festival in August 2014. Lake Los Angeles will continue to screen at other festivals around the world later this year. Mike also teaches film directing in the graduate Film & TV Production MFA program at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.