Carl Bird McLaughlin grew up in Santa Clarita, California, immersed in the world of performance as the child of two actors. From an early age, he felt drawn to storytelling, performing in school plays and crafting short films with his family’s digital camcorder. Carl pursued his passion for filmmaking by studying film directing at College of the Canyons, where he was honored with the Filmmaker of the Year award for two consecutive years. He went on to earn his undergraduate degree from CalArts in the School of Film/Video.
As an actor, Carl’s work has been showcased globally, including his starring role in David Nordstrom’s Sawdust City (2011), which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival. His talents extend behind the camera as well; he served as cinematographer and co-writer for LiTTLEROCK (2010), which earned the Best Screenplay award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. His short film Subsurface Flow (2014) screened at prominent festivals such as Palm Springs International, Ottawa Film Festival, and Portland Film Festival, earning the Jury Award for Creative Achievement at the 2015 Arizona International Film Festival.
In 2018, Carl wrote, directed, and starred in Human Sun, which premiered at the Marfa Film Festival and was later featured at the Austin Film Festival. Across all his endeavors, Carl continues to explore the intersection of storytelling and performance, bringing a unique voice and vision to every project he undertakes.