Tyler Smith is a writer/director whose work is defined by a strong sense of emotion and a human-first approach to storytelling. He's especially known for moving manifestos and dramatic, character-centered stories.

In 2024, Tyler received an Individual Artist Grant from the City of Jacksonville. And in 2025, he won a District Silver Addy for This is Y, a brand film he wrote and directed for First Coast YMCA.

His latest short, Never to Return, won both Best Short Film and Best Florida Film at the Sunscreen Film Festival before showing at Dances with Films: LA. He is currently writing a related feature film about the Johns Committee's persecution of LGTBQ+ people in Florida.