DON HADERLEIN

Writer | Director | Producer | Documentary Filmmaker

Los Angeles, California

PROFILE

Award-winning documentary filmmaker specializing in socially driven, issue-focused storytelling. His work spans human rights, faith-based programming, criminal justice, youth education, and cultural history. Known for emotionally resonant narratives that combine archival material, observational footage, and in-depth interviews to illuminate urgent real-world issues and personal transformation.

FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES

Give Me Shelter (2025)

Producer | Writer | Director
An award-winning documentary exposing the human cost of homelessness, following individuals living on the margins as they struggle for dignity, survival, and belonging.
North Hollywood Pictures

The Machinery of Death (2021)

Producer | Director | Editor
A searing exposé of the U.S. capital punishment system, tracing the moral, legal, and political battles to end a justice process defined by irreversible consequence.
North Hollywood Pictures

The Beams Are Creaking (2020)

Producer | Director
A portrait of theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s resistance to the Nazi regime, exploring faith, moral conviction, and sacrifice under totalitarian rule.
Mother Road Productions

Broken Things (2017)

Producer | Editor
The story of John Keck and the Handicapped Encounter Christ movement, revealing how faith, community, and vulnerability transform lives.
North Hollywood Pictures

Pray and Play (2017)

Producer | Director
An intimate look at early childhood education leadership within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, where faith and developmental learning intersect.
North Hollywood Pictures

The World Awaits (2016)

Producer | Director
A global documentary on nuclear weapons and existential risk featuring leading voices in philosophy and activism, including Noam Chomsky and Helen Caldicott.
North Hollywood Pictures | Amazon Prime Video

Occupy Los Angeles: The Time Is Now! (2012)

Producer | Director | Editor
A vérité chronicle of the Occupy LA movement from City Hall encampment to eviction, capturing protest, power, and civil unrest.
North Hollywood Pictures

The Journey Is the Reward (2011)

Producer | Director
A reflective documentary exploring faith formation across generations and the evolving role of spiritual education in family life.
North Hollywood Pictures

The Vision of Early Childhood Education (2011)

Producer | Director | Editor
Examines early childhood education programs within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and their role in shaping child development through faith-based learning.
North Hollywood Pictures

Letting Our Light Shine (2010)

Producer | Director | Editor
The first installment in a faith-based trilogy capturing children’s voices as they explore spirituality, belief, and early moral development.
North Hollywood Pictures

Benefit (2009)

Co-Producer | Editor
A concert documentary featuring performances and interviews supporting the Los Angeles Youth Network and homelessness outreach programs.
Starring: Slash

On Acting (2009)

Co-Producer | Editor
A candid interview with Matt Damon exploring acting craft amid a major humanitarian fundraiser for Darfur relief.
Starring: Matt Damon

Machine Gun Preacher: Sam Childers (2009)

Producer | Director | DP | Editor
An intimate interview with Sam Childers detailing his mission rescuing children from the Lord’s Resistance Army in Africa.
Starring: Peter Fonda, Sam Childers

Junior: The Terrance Cottrell Story (2006)

Producer
A true-crime documentary examining the death of an autistic teenager during a church exorcism and its broader social implications.
Mother Road Productions / North Hollywood Pictures

Peacemaking Strategies in Postmodern Times (2003)

Producer | Director | Editor
A documentary capturing a Pax Christi summit exploring war, global militarism, human rights, and restorative justice.
North Hollywood Pictures

Miracle Dogs (2003)

Associate Producer (Uncredited)
A family drama about a dog’s recovery from cancer and the healing bond between humans and animals.
Animal Planet / TAG Entertainment

The Santa Trap (2002)

Associate Producer (Uncredited)
A holiday drama-comedy about a town divided when Santa becomes a permanent resident.
PAX TV / TAG Entertainment

Moonbeams (2001)

Director | Writer | Producer | Actor
A lyrical coming-of-age story about a boy coping with family breakdown through nightly conversations with the moon.
North Hollywood Pictures

Maybe It’s Not Such a Wonderful Life (2000)

Producer | DP
A dark satire reimagining a holiday classic through existential manipulation and psychological crisis.

Rachel’s Choice (1997)

Producer | DP | Editor
A documentary following a young college student choosing to carry her pregnancy to term against social pressure.
North Hollywood Pictures

The Peter Show (1997)

Producer
A youth talk show platform featuring children and teens discussing real-world issues from their perspective.
Continental Cable

Recordathon (1996)

Producer | Writer | Editor
A celebrity-driven fundraiser for Recording for the Blind featuring Steve Allen, James Earl Jones, Mark Hamill, and Edward Asner.
North Hollywood Pictures

Barrington Bunny (1995)

Producer | Director | Editor
A Christmas fable about a lost rabbit who encounters a mysterious silver wolf and discovers the meaning of compassion.
DHP

Missing Our Dogs (1994)

Producer | Director
A tribute written and performed by Steve Allen reflecting on love, memory, and the loss of beloved pets.
Starring: Steve Allen

A Vision for Tomorrow (1993)

Producer | Writer | Director
Award-winning documentary on Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic and the transformative power of accessible education.
DHP

City of Angels (1992)

Director | Producer | Editor
A documentary on the AIDS crisis, hospice care, and AIDS Walk Los Angeles during the height of the epidemic.
DHP

The Hollywood Sentinel (1991)

Producer | Director | Editor
A true-story documentary following community activist Virginia Charon during the crack epidemic in Los Angeles.
DHP

SELECT INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

New Wave Entertainment

Sound Editor | Assistant Sound Editor | Mixer
Studio feature trailers and television campaigns including:

The English Patient (Miramax)
Air Force One (Columbia Pictures)
Con Air (Touchstone)
Face/Off (Paramount)
Starship Troopers (TriStar)
The Mask of Zorro (TriStar)
Alien Resurrection (20th Century Fox)
GI Jane (Hollywood Pictures)
My Best Friend’s Wedding (TriStar)
Flubber (Disney)
Hercules (Disney)
The Edge (20th Century Fox)

Worked on campaigns for multiple Academy Award-winning and blockbuster theatrical releases.

MUSIC VIDEO

Windowpane (1992)

Producer | Director | Editor
Early music video featuring Apostles—the pre-Train lineup including Rob Hotchkiss, Jimmy Stafford, Charlie Colin, and Bret Everett.
DHP

CELEBRITY INTERVIEWS / SPECIAL EVENTS

Executive Producer – Explore Talent
Producer | Editor | Cinematographer (select)

Extensive interview and promotional work featuring leading figures in film, music, sports, and television, including:

Matt Damon, Jamie Foxx, Snoop Dogg, Slash, Kobe Bryant, Samuel L. Jackson, Dave Grohl, Eva Longoria, Don Cheadle, Mark Burnett, Gene Simmons, Michael J. Fox, Magic Johnson, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lopez, Shonda Rhimes, Ray Park, and many others.

COMMERCIALS / RADIO / PSAs

Producer-Director-Editor
Recording for the Blind – National PSA Campaigns (Television & Radio)

Featuring:

#donhaderlein

#Northhollywoodpictures

Don Haderlein
North Hollywood Pictures
Producer-Director-Editor

Don Haderlein is an award-winning documentary producer and director creating high-impact, socially driven films that turn urgent real-world issues into cinematic stories with global reach.

His work focuses on powerful, human-centered subjects—homelessness, capital punishment, nuclear weapons, public health crises, youth vulnerability, and faith-based social impact—told through a vérité, character-driven style that blends intimate storytelling with investigative depth.

His films include Give Me Shelter, an award-winning documentary on homelessness; The Machinery of Death, an exposé on the capital punishment system; and The World Awaits, a global warning on nuclear weapons featuring voices like Noam Chomsky. His work has screened internationally and reached audiences through platforms including Amazon Prime Video.

Alongside his documentary work, he has produced high-profile celebrity-driven projects and benefit campaigns featuring figures such as James Earl Jones, Mark Hamill, Matt Damon, Steve Allen, and Slash—often supporting major humanitarian and nonprofit initiatives.

At the core of his work is a simple focus: powerful stories about real people, designed to inform, engage, and move audiences toward awareness and action, with a clear path for streaming, broadcast, and impact-driven distribution.

#movies

#films

#documentary

Thursday, April 23, 2026