Ari Sandel started his career in the entertainment industry in 1999 creating and hosting the comedic TV segment, The Traveler, for the FX Channel's, The X Show. Ari wrote, directed, and hosted the segment for two seasons as he traveled the globe, offering a tongue-in-cheek view of the world's unknown hot spots for the young and hip.

Ari was raised in Calabasas, California and studied Media Arts at the University of Arizona in Tucson where he also received a special certificate in Middle Eastern Studies. He went on to earn his Directing M.F.A. from the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television. He co-wrote and directed the Academy Award-winning short film, West Bank Story (2006), which premiered at Sundance and has screened at over 160 film festivals worldwide having won 28 awards. His most recent project, Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights - Hollywood to the Heartland (2006), was his feature documentary directorial debut and premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival and will be in theatres nationwide in February 2008.

In addition to filmmaking, Ari has also traveled Europe, Asia, South America and extensively throughout the Middle East including Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Turkey, and Dubai. Ari is currently developing several feature comedies and also speaks regularly at fundraisers and government-sponsored conferences about his experiences making a comedic film about a controversial subject and the international reaction to it.

For information about inviting him to speak at your event please contact Ann Shavrick at AnnS@Harrywalker.com