Award-winning filmmaker, Todd Looby was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. Todd took only two film classes at the University of Illinois while studying Environmental Engineering. After receiving his Master’s Degree, he returned to Chicago and began taking classes at Chicago’s “iO” (formerly Improv Olympic).  The following year Todd acquired at DV camera and began making films.  Initially making rudimentary documentaries and comedic shorts, Todd began tackling feature film work in late 2005 while working full-time as a commercial construction manager.

LEFTY, Todd’s second narrative feature, screened at several fests across the country and was given “4-1/2 stars” and named among “The Top 10 Movies of 2009…” by the Chicago Tribune’s Metromix.  Looby is self-distributing LEFTY DVDs and streaming the film on Indieflix.com.  His follow-up, “Son of None”, is a narrative short Todd shot in Liberia, West Africa.  “Son of None” went on to win the Special Jury Awards at Slamdance 2011 and won Best Short at the Boston Film Fest.  The film screened at Chicago International Film Fest, Cinequest, Sidewalk Moving Pictures, New Orleans Film Fest and Encounters Short Film Fest, UK among others.  Be Good is Looby’s third narrative feature.  “Be Good” stars indie-favorites, Amy Seimetz and Joe Swanberg. The film has been “Highly Recommended” by several Chicago critics and will begin its Festival Run in the Spring of 2013.  “Lollywood” is a short documentary that Todd shot in Liberia, West Africa.  This film will also begin its film festival run in the Spring of 2013.

Currently, Todd is adapting the book, A Saint on Death Row, by New York Times Best-selling author, Thomas Cahill.  He is also editing a feature-length documentary, Solo Madres: Stories of the Families Left Behind – which he and his wife shot in Honduras.  He also shot “Hole in the Wall”, a narrative short written by Sundance alum, Dusty Bias.  Recently, Todd has been busy directing, shooting and editing commercial work for Carhartt, DJCN, Bloodshot Records, and multiple non-profit organizations.

Todd’s work often blends off-beat humor and drama in character studies that aim to entertain, inform and challenge audiences.