Daniel Ostroff
- Producer
- Director
Daniel Ostroff is a producer with a career spanning film, television, theater, and design. As a literary agent, Ostroff represented the creators and played a pivotal role in acclaimed films such as The Right Stuff, Eddie and The Cruisers, Psycho 2, Dances with Wolves, A River Runs Through It, The Big Easy, The Land Before Time, Runaway Bride, The Road to Perdition, Space Cowboys, Himalaya and Gran Torino, which collectively garnered 11 Academy Awards and 29 nominations.
Ostroff's career in entertainment began at Georgetown University, where he was recruited to the Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society by Professor Donn B. Murphy, who later became Director of The National Theatre in Washington, D.C. Murphy also arranged an internship for Ostroff at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which developed into his first full time job in the entertainment business. These formative experiences and Murphy's mentorship were pivotal in launching Ostroff's professional career in the entertainment industry.
Following his graduation, Ostroff joined Kennedy Center Productions, serving as Company Manager for the U.S. premiere of Tom Stoppard's Dirty Linen and Newfoundland at the West End Theatre in Washington, D.C., and later as Assistant General Manager when the production moved to Broadway. He also served as Company Manager for Tom Stoppard's Travesties at the Colonial Theater in Washington, D.C.
After moving to Hollywood, Ostroff began his career in the mail room at ICM, quickly rising to Script Analyst and Agent roles within a year. At ICM, he sold such projects as The Right Stuff and Eddie and the Cruisers and brokered key deals for clients including Ron Maxwell (Little Darlings), Richard Franklin (Psycho II), Stu Krieger (The Land Before Time), Henry Denker (A Time For Miracles) and screenwriter Bill Lancaster (The Thing). During his years as an agent, he demonstrated a talent for identifying and nurturing new voices, representing such talents as Richard Friedenberg (A River Runs Through It), Michael Blake (Dances With Wolves), Thom Eberhardt (Night of the Comet), Nick Schenk (Gran Torino), Ken Kaufman (Space Cowboys), Greg Beeman (Heroes), Josann McGibbon, and Sara Parriott (Runaway Bride) after signing them often before they had any produced credits. On four occasions as an agent, Ostroff accompanied clients to the Oscars: with Elizabeth McGovern when she was nominated for Ragtime, with Michael Blake when he won the Oscar for Dances With Wolves, with Richard Friedenberg when he was nominated for A River Runs Through It and with Eric Valli when he was nominated as director for the Best Foreign Language Film for Himalaya. Five Ostroff clients created films that generated significant net profits: Ron Maxwell, director of Little Darlings; Richard Franklin, director of Psycho 2; Stu Krieger, writer of The Land Before Time; Michael Blake, writer of Dances With Wolves; and Richard Friedenberg, writer of A River Runs Through It. He later represented the Estate of Norman MacLean and brokered the deal for MacLean's The Ranger, The Cook, and The Hole in the Sky to be filmed as a movie for television.
Ostroff has worked on various critically acclaimed films and documentaries as a producer. His credits include Ron Howard's The Missing, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival; David Bezmozgis' Natasha, which achieved a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes; and Stacy Peralta's Dogtown and Z-Boys, a Sundance award winner and Grammy nominee. Other notable projects include Snow in August, based on Pete Hamill's novel and nominated for three Emmy Awards, and Of Two Minds, described by The Huffington Post as "an outstanding presentation on a serious subject; all who participated deserve praise." He also produced 100 Years of Freedom, a documentary chronicling a landmark celebration of the Fort Sill Apache Tribe. He continues to make movies, and his newest film, Menace, is set for release theatrically in 2026 by IFC Shudder.
Since 2006, Ostroff has been closely associated with The Eames Office, making him the second-longest-serving non-family member. In 2019, he became Head of Acquisitions and Research at The Eames Institute, where he continues to preserve and expand the legacy of Charles and Ray Eames. His editorial work includes An Eames Anthology: Articles, Film Scripts, Interviews, Letters, Notes, and Speeches, published by Yale University Press and widely regarded as a significant contribution to design scholarship.
Ostroff's career in entertainment began at Georgetown University, where he was recruited to the Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society by Professor Donn B. Murphy, who later became Director of The National Theatre in Washington, D.C. Murphy also arranged an internship for Ostroff at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which developed into his first full time job in the entertainment business. These formative experiences and Murphy's mentorship were pivotal in launching Ostroff's professional career in the entertainment industry.
Following his graduation, Ostroff joined Kennedy Center Productions, serving as Company Manager for the U.S. premiere of Tom Stoppard's Dirty Linen and Newfoundland at the West End Theatre in Washington, D.C., and later as Assistant General Manager when the production moved to Broadway. He also served as Company Manager for Tom Stoppard's Travesties at the Colonial Theater in Washington, D.C.
After moving to Hollywood, Ostroff began his career in the mail room at ICM, quickly rising to Script Analyst and Agent roles within a year. At ICM, he sold such projects as The Right Stuff and Eddie and the Cruisers and brokered key deals for clients including Ron Maxwell (Little Darlings), Richard Franklin (Psycho II), Stu Krieger (The Land Before Time), Henry Denker (A Time For Miracles) and screenwriter Bill Lancaster (The Thing). During his years as an agent, he demonstrated a talent for identifying and nurturing new voices, representing such talents as Richard Friedenberg (A River Runs Through It), Michael Blake (Dances With Wolves), Thom Eberhardt (Night of the Comet), Nick Schenk (Gran Torino), Ken Kaufman (Space Cowboys), Greg Beeman (Heroes), Josann McGibbon, and Sara Parriott (Runaway Bride) after signing them often before they had any produced credits. On four occasions as an agent, Ostroff accompanied clients to the Oscars: with Elizabeth McGovern when she was nominated for Ragtime, with Michael Blake when he won the Oscar for Dances With Wolves, with Richard Friedenberg when he was nominated for A River Runs Through It and with Eric Valli when he was nominated as director for the Best Foreign Language Film for Himalaya. Five Ostroff clients created films that generated significant net profits: Ron Maxwell, director of Little Darlings; Richard Franklin, director of Psycho 2; Stu Krieger, writer of The Land Before Time; Michael Blake, writer of Dances With Wolves; and Richard Friedenberg, writer of A River Runs Through It. He later represented the Estate of Norman MacLean and brokered the deal for MacLean's The Ranger, The Cook, and The Hole in the Sky to be filmed as a movie for television.
Ostroff has worked on various critically acclaimed films and documentaries as a producer. His credits include Ron Howard's The Missing, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival; David Bezmozgis' Natasha, which achieved a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes; and Stacy Peralta's Dogtown and Z-Boys, a Sundance award winner and Grammy nominee. Other notable projects include Snow in August, based on Pete Hamill's novel and nominated for three Emmy Awards, and Of Two Minds, described by The Huffington Post as "an outstanding presentation on a serious subject; all who participated deserve praise." He also produced 100 Years of Freedom, a documentary chronicling a landmark celebration of the Fort Sill Apache Tribe. He continues to make movies, and his newest film, Menace, is set for release theatrically in 2026 by IFC Shudder.
Since 2006, Ostroff has been closely associated with The Eames Office, making him the second-longest-serving non-family member. In 2019, he became Head of Acquisitions and Research at The Eames Institute, where he continues to preserve and expand the legacy of Charles and Ray Eames. His editorial work includes An Eames Anthology: Articles, Film Scripts, Interviews, Letters, Notes, and Speeches, published by Yale University Press and widely regarded as a significant contribution to design scholarship.
