David Tappan

David Tappan is an award-winning director known for his unique ability to merge character-driven narratives with high-concept storytelling. Tappan’s short film, Universe 25, premiered at the 2023 ScreamFest. It later won Best Sci-Fi Short Film at FilmQuest 2024 and Best Graveyard Short at the Oscar-qualifying Nashville Film Fest in 2024. Kevin Smith's SModcastle Film Festival awarded him with Best Director for his work on the project. The film was further honored at the 2024 Comic-Con International, where it won Best Horror/ Suspense Film. Over 30 film festivals have granted the film official selections and awards, including prestigious Méliès fests such as Lund Fantastic and Imagine Fantastic. Tappan co-founded Level 11 Films with his sister and writing partner, Kelly Tappan. Universe 25, their flagship project, has received critical acclaim. It has been described as “an awe-inspiring cinematic feat” by Overly Honest Reviews and “about as good as a Sci-Fi short gets” by Film Threat. A feature-length adaptation is currently in development. Tappan's goal is to shine a mirror at audiences, representing the collective madness of humanity and illuminating the thin path we each must walk to find our peace. By blending elements of horror, sci-fi, and thriller, Tappan transports audiences to unfamiliar worlds -- not only to entertain, but to more vividly capture the dilemmas we all face in life.