About the Foundation

A legacy built on opportunity

Tyler Sanders knew what it meant to pursue a creative life from a young age: to work hard, seek out opportunities, and continually develop his craft. Along the way, he built a team of agents, acting coaches, and other professionals who supported his growth and helped him navigate the industry. He understood the difference the right people could make.

The Tyler Sanders Foundation carries that experience forward by creating meaningful opportunities for emerging filmmakers to learn, create, and build relationships with professionals who invest in their work and their future.

Tyler Sanders in a navy suit on a mountain balcony with forested slopes behind him

Tyler’s story

He knew what he wanted to do early.

Tyler discovered acting at seven years old, playing Simba in The Lion King. By nine, he had moved into television and film, and found the work that would become a defining part of his life.

His family had no background in acting and no network in the entertainment industry. Tyler built his career by pursuing opportunities, learning constantly, and making the most of every experience he was given.

That drive took him from independent productions to roles in Fear the Walking Dead, The Rookie, 9-1-1: Lone Star, and Just Add Magic: Mystery City, where his work earned an Emmy nomination. But as Tyler spent more time on set, his interests expanded beyond acting. He wanted to understand how stories were made.

“Do More.”

For years, Tyler wrote those two words on his hand every day.

They captured the way he approached his work. On set, he asked questions. He read about filmmaking. He studied lighting, camera angles, and the decisions behind a shot. What began as a passion for acting became an interest in the entire filmmaking process.

His goal was eventually to create a production of his own and work both behind and in front of the camera. Every set became somewhere to work — and somewhere to learn.

Growing up in the industry.

Tyler was also doing something more ordinary and more complicated: growing up.

As a teenager working professionally, he was developing his identity, faith, relationships, and sense of direction while navigating an industry filled with opportunity, uncertainty, rejection, visibility, and pressure. The people he trusted mattered.

His relationship with filmmaker Scott Brignac and Watershed gave Tyler a place where creative development and personal investment could coexist. The mentorship was rooted in faith, but also in relationship: people who cared about Tyler, the work he was doing, and the person he was becoming. That experience would later help shape the Foundation’s approach.

He opened doors for others, too.

Tyler didn’t only look for people he could learn from. As his own experience grew, he began helping other young people entering the industry: offering advice, making connections, helping them develop their craft, and working with them on audition tapes.

That instinct, to take what he was learning and use it to help someone coming behind him, is an important part of the legacy his family chose to continue.

Talent opens doors. The people who invest in you help you walk through them.

FOUNDATION ORIGIN

Tyler Sanders in a green hoodie on a city street in a FOX television promo still

Turning what mattered to Tyler into opportunity for someone else.

Tyler died before he had the opportunity to fulfill his goal of creating a production of his own.

His family established the Tyler Sanders Foundation not simply to preserve his memory, but to continue something Tyler was already doing: helping emerging artists find the support, relationships, and opportunities that can be difficult to find on your own.

That idea became Dear Filmmaker.

Dear Filmmaker puts that vision into practice, creating opportunities for emerging artists to learn from experienced professionals and pursue their creative ambitions.

Tyler’s story cannot be repeated. But the kind of opportunity and investment that mattered in his life can be extended to someone else.

Explore Dear Filmmaker

Boy in a vest and tie writing in a notebook with a pencil at a wooden desk

Black-and-white promotional image for The Reluctant featuring two smiling people outdoors in plaid shirts

What mattered in Tyler’s life shapes how we invest in others.

01 — INVEST IN PEOPLE

We believe talent flourishes when people are given the guidance, encouragement, and relationships they need to grow. We invest in emerging artists as individuals, connecting them with experienced professionals who share their knowledge and take a personal interest in their success.
02 — LEARN BY DOING

We believe meaningful opportunity comes through experience. By giving emerging artists real creative responsibility alongside working professionals, we help them develop their abilities, discover what’s possible, and build a foundation for their future.
03 — LEAD WITH PURPOSE

Faith was important in Tyler’s life and remains part of the Foundation’s roots. Those values inform our commitment to integrity, compassion, and the belief that storytelling can make a positive difference in the world. We encourage filmmakers who see the power of story to influence others.

Meet the Board

David Sanders

Tyler's father · Tax Partner, Deloitte LLP

“Tyler was so passionate about the film industry. He loved working in front of and behind the camera. We are honored that his legacy will be used to help other young filmmakers get started in this industry.”

Ginger Sanders

Tyler's mother and number one fan

Ginger lived with Tyler during his entire eight-year acting career in Los Angeles. “Tyler was happiest when he was on set. We used to joke that he would live on set if he could. It was like he had found the place he truly belonged, and it was a gift that he loved to share with others. He was constantly helping others prepare for auditions, tape auditions, run lines, and create stories. We want to continue his legacy of helping others make their dreams come true.”

Scott Brignac

Creative Partner · Watershed Motion Pictures

Scott and the Watershed team bring the filmmaking expertise behind Dear Filmmaker. Building on Scott’s relationship with Tyler, they work alongside emerging filmmakers through development and production, creating the kind of professional, relational learning environment that helped shape the program.

Bradley Jackson

Director and Producer

Bradley Jackson is a filmmaker who has a knack for telling humanistic stories about real people. His directorial debut, the documentary Facing Nolan, was bought by Utopia and Netflix out of South by Southwest in 2022 and was the #1 documentary on iTunes for over two months. Previously, he produced Dealt, which won the Audience Award at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival, as well as Action, a four-part series for Showtime and Boardwalk Pictures about the legalization of sports gambling in America. His latest documentary, about the iconic pop duo Milli Vanilli, was bought by Paramount+ after premiering at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival and is streaming globally.

Cassidy Irish

Publicist, NBCUniversal

Cassidy is a publicist at NBCUniversal. Cassidy interned at the Cannes Film Festival while still in high school.

John Hermansen

Production Executive, 101 Studios

John is a Production Executive at 101 Studios, which produced the award-winning series Yellowstone, 1883, and 1923.

Kyle Benn

Founder, Creator Media

Kyle founded Creator Media, which produces for film and television and provides coaching to others looking to develop their craft. Kyle is a former Lionsgate Motion Picture Group executive on franchises such as John Wick and The Hunger Games.

Mari Ferguson

Acting Coach · Tyler's first acting coach

Mari was Tyler's first acting coach, and she continues to coach students in her Houston studio. Mari has an eye for talent and knows how to develop it. Her students have booked roles in shows on Disney, ABC, CBS, Netflix, Amazon Prime, feature films, and more, with some winning Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. Mari is an actress, former professional dancer, and acting coach.

Mark Fincannon

Casting Director, Fincannon & Associates

Mark cast The Case for Christ, God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness, and 90 Minutes in Heaven, and is credited with the location casting for The Blind Side and Jesus Revolution. Tyler auditioned for The War with Grandpa, which Mark cast.

YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD

From the first Dear Filmmaker to the Youth Advisory Board.
The Sun Rises writer/director Keely Boutwell and cast members Luke Husmann and Morgan Hughs remain involved with TSF as members of the Youth Advisory Board.

Pictured left to right: Luke Husmann, Keely Boutwell, and Morgan Hughs.

Young voices helping shape what comes next.

The Youth Advisory Board brings the perspective of young creatives directly into the Foundation’s work. Members share their experiences, ideas, and aspirations to help shape opportunities that are relevant to the emerging artists TSF exists to serve.