October 2–5, 2026
Chicago Horror Film Festival
Sat, Oct 3 · 1:00 p.m. · Block 2
Landmark's Century Centre Cinema, Chicago
Nicholas Guilak nominated for Best Director
Actor · Writer · Director · Producer · CEO · Professor
A working artist shaped by performance, story, and psychological truth.
Nicholas Guilak is a Los Angeles based actor, theatre artist, filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, CEO of Guilco Productions, Inc., and professor whose work moves between global stage performance, television, film, original storytelling, and actor training.
MFA Acting, UCLABA Theatre, Film & Humanities, USCLos Angeles
Current Highlight
The Last Draft
A psychological thriller and feature proof of concept about creativity, isolation, madness, and the voice inside the artist's mind.
60+
Screen Credits
50+
Stage Credits
4
Festival Wins
MFA
Acting, UCLA
4
Colleges Taught
5
Feature Screenplays
For Casting
Commanding presence. Emotional depth. Decades of range.
Nicholas Guilak brings a lived-in, intelligent presence to roles requiring authority, danger, emotional damage, dry humor, cultural complexity, and psychological depth. Equally at home in prestige drama, thrillers, noir, elevated genre, and character-driven television. AEA · SAG-AFTRA.
Festival Momentum
Winner — Cotati ShortsWinner — NoHo CineFestWinner ×2 — Monza Film FestBest Director Nominee — Chicago HorrorFinalist — WorldFest-HoustonPremiere — TCL Chinese TheatreOfficial Selection — SOHO International
Current Film: The Last Draft — 4 festival wins, 6 nominations, and a TCL Chinese Theatre premiere
For Casting & Agents
Industry Essentials
Reel, resume, headshots, and representation info — everything casting needs in one place.
For Actors & Coaching
Work with Nicholas
Private self-tape coaching, audition prep, scene analysis, and free actor resources.
For Producers & Press
Guilco Productions
Press kit, proof of concept, pitch materials, and production inquiries.
Actor
A seasoned leading actor with commanding presence, emotional depth, and decades of work across film, television, and theatre.
From sharp-witted comedy to searing drama, from quiet vulnerability to commanding authority — Nicholas brings depth, precision, and fearless versatility to every role. Leading men, character work, heavies, comedic turns, and everything in between. The work speaks for itself.
Explore the Work
Film · Television · Theatre
Screen
Film Credits
A screen career spanning feature films, independent cinema, shorts, festival projects, and studio work.
Screen
Television Credits
Network, cable, streaming, episodic, guest star, recurring, and series work.
Stage
Theatre Credits
Classical, contemporary, international, directing, producing, and stage performance work.
Theatre Artist
A life on stage, not just on screen.
Theatre is one of the deepest parts of Nicholas's artistic identity: global stage acting, original plays, directing, producing, and the co-founding of Big Dog Little Dog Theatre Company — a former Los Angeles nonprofit theatre company active and popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Stage
Global Stage Actor
Extensive theatre work across the United States and internationally, with a foundation in classical, contemporary, and character-driven performance.
Stage
Playwright
Original stage writing that positions Nicholas as a storyteller across film, television, and theatre.
Stage
Stage Director
Directed numerous stage productions with actor-centered storytelling and emotional precision.
Stage
Theatre Producer
Produced a wide range of stage work, building productions from idea to audience.
Stage
Big Dog Little Dog Theatre
Co-founder of the former Los Angeles nonprofit theatre company, active and popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Guilco Productions, Inc.
A production company built around original story, performance, and cinematic identity.
Nicholas Guilak is the CEO of Guilco Productions, Inc., his company for developing film, theatre, and original story-driven projects.
CEO
Guilco Productions, Inc.
Nicholas Guilak's production company for original film, theatre, and story-driven creative development.
Film / Television / Proof of Concept
Independent Film Development
A home for psychological thrillers, character-driven features, proof-of-concept shorts, and larger IP development.
Stage Producing Roots
Theatre and Live Storytelling
Built on years of producing, directing, and developing theatre, including nonprofit leadership with Big Dog Little Dog Theatre Company.
Filmmaker
The Last Draft
An award-winning psychological horror thriller and feature proof of concept about the horror of authorship and the danger of facing the self too directly.
Written · Directed · Produced by · Starring Nicholas Guilak
Psychological Horror Thriller · 12 min
The film follows novelist James Harper as writer's block, whispers, knocks, shadows, and reflections pull him into a descent into obsession and fractured identity — and the terrifying possibility that his work is writing him back. A deliberate slow burn, its reversal and metafictional payoff land in the final four minutes.
Festival Momentum
Awards & Recognition
Winner — Cotati Shorts Film FestivalWinner — NoHo CineFestWinner ×2 — Monza Film FestBest Director Nominee — Chicago Horror Film FestivalNominee — FilmQuestNominee — New York CineFest3 Nominations — Venice ShortsFinalist — WorldFest-HoustonOfficial Selection — SOHO International
Four festival wins, six nominations, a finalist placement, an honorable mention, a Los Angeles premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre, and a listing in the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Market — with selections across the United States and internationally.
The Feature Expansion
From Short Film to Feature
The short film serves as the proof of concept for a larger psychological noir-thriller about authorship, obsession, guilt, and the terrifying possibility that the written word can alter reality. The feature expands the world, the stakes, and the psychological descent into something cinematic, dangerous, and deeply human.
Short Film · Password Protected
Watch The Last Draft (Password Protected)
The complete short film — the award-winning psychological horror thriller and feature proof of concept. Enter the access code to watch, or request access below.
Feature Film
Proof of Concept
The full proof of concept document for The Last Draft feature film — including vision, story, creative approach, and production plan.
The Last Draft
Podcast
Listen to the proof of concept podcast exploring the story, themes, and creative vision behind The Last Draft.
The Last Draft
Festival Tour 2026
Four festival wins, six nominations, and a Los Angeles premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre — and the run keeps building this fall in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles.
Now Screening & Upcoming
October 3, 2026
New York Science Fiction & Horror Film Festival
Sat, Oct 3 · Festival Program
The Producers Club, New York City
October 7–13, 2026
SOHO International Film Festival
Sat, Oct 10 · 9:10 p.m. · Shorts Program J: Spring Street Series
Regal Union Square, Theater 10, New York City
Official Selection · Eligible for the Audience Award
Oct 30–Nov 1, 2026
GeekFest Film Festival at L.A. Comic Con
Sat, Oct 31 · 12:00 p.m. · Horror Shorts Block 1
Los Angeles Convention Center
Competing in Psychological Thriller
Writer's Room
Screenplays, plays, features, and original worlds.
The actual scripts and plays stay protected, while the projects are presented with polished loglines and request-only access.
Feature Expansion / Proof of Concept
The Last Draft
Elevated psychological thriller
A celebrated novelist trapped in creative isolation discovers that the darkest voice in his mind may be shaping the story, the room, and the violence around him.
Feature Screenplay
Parker: A Life Least Expected
Darkly comic crime odyssey / character piece
A failed middle-aged screenwriter on the edge of collapse accidentally stumbles into a violent criminal underworld, where desperation, wit, and strange timing pull him into the life he never expected.
Feature Screenplay
Happiness in New York City
Immigrant drama / romantic urban character piece
In post-9/11 New York, a struggling Persian actor waiting tables faces family expectation, cultural identity, love, and the terrifying question of whether it is ever too late to start over.
Feature Screenplay
Milledgeville
Southern character drama / heartfelt ensemble story
When a newly divorced mother and her teenage son arrive in a small Georgia town, their lives intersect with Sam, a gentle antiques savant whose quiet world may help them rediscover family, purpose, and belonging.
Feature Screenplay
Shattered
Social drama / psychological trauma thriller
After a devastating school shooting, a drama teacher's attempt to protect his students collides with buried grief, family memory, and the violence that fractures a community forever.
Professor
A working artist who teaches the craft from the inside.
Nicholas has taught across Antelope Valley College and multiple Los Angeles Community College District campuses, including Pierce College, West Los Angeles College, and Southwest College. He brings professional industry experience directly into the classroom and is available for online and asynchronous instruction.
Theatre Arts Professor
Antelope Valley College
Longstanding Theatre Arts teaching, including Introduction to Theatre, acting, performance, and online asynchronous course delivery.
LACCD Theatre Faculty
Pierce College
Part of Nicholas's Los Angeles Community College District teaching history with community college theatre students.
LACCD Theatre Faculty
West Los Angeles College
Teaching experience within LACCD, supporting his broader academic profile in online and in-person theatre education.
LACCD Theatre Faculty
Southwest College
Additional LACCD teaching experience that belongs in the academic profile, especially for online and asynchronous theatre teaching.
Courses Taught
Introduction to Theatre
Beginning Acting
Intermediate Acting
Acting for the Camera
Scene Study & Script Analysis
Rehearsal & Performance
Theatre Appreciation
Voice & Movement for Actors
Advanced Scene Study
Classical Theatre
Introduction to Design
Audition Technique
The Business of Acting
Online / Asynchronous Theatre Arts
Nicholas Guilak Studio
Work with Nicholas directly.
Coaching, toolkits, and creative services — crafted with the same discipline and artistry Nicholas brings to every role and production.
Private Coaching
Self-Tape & Audition Coaching
Direct audition prep, self-tape review, scene analysis, character work, and actor career positioning with a working professional.
Video Series
The 10 Guideposts of Acting
In this candid video series, Nicholas Guilak breaks down the 10 Guideposts of Acting across ten episodes, offering actors practical, accessible tools for approaching character, scene work, and performance.
Actor Resources & Coaching
The Actor's Studio with Nicholas Guilak
Practical acting tools, candid craft guidance, and private coaching for actors who want stronger auditions, deeper scene work, and a more truthful connection to the camera.
Also from Nicholas Guilak / Guilco Productions
World Without Noise
Original Music. Moving Paintings. Cinematic Escape.
World Without Noise is a cinematic escape project created and directed by Nicholas Guilak, combining original lyrics, music direction, visual storytelling, editing, sound design, long-form ambience, and AI-assisted production tools.
Built like a collection of moving paintings, each piece creates immersive spaces for focus, writing, sleep, reflection, and emotional release.
This is not background noise. It is a refuge.
Enter World Without NoiseVisit YouTube ChannelWatch, subscribe, and share the escape.
Rainy Night Café
Midnight Glass River Cabin
Luxury Swiss Alps Chalet
Animals at Rest
Luxury New York Penthouse AmbienceFeatured Escapes
Moving paintings with original music for calm, focus, and escape.
Verified Web Presence
The public footprint, cleaned up and connected.
The strongest outside links in one place so people do not have to hunt across the internet.
IMDb Profile
Film and television credits, reels, photos, and awards.
IMDbProProfessional industry profile.
Actors Access ResumePublic resume with representation, film, television, theatre, training, and special skills.
Demo ReelCurrent reel link for industry visitors.
Voice Over ReelVoice over demo reel on Google Drive.
Beverly Hills Film FestivalFestival page and synopsis.
FilmQuest FeatureArticle on the film's psychological thriller identity.
AVC Faculty PageAcademic and teaching credentials.
Rotten TomatoesFilmography and public production stills.
InstagramCurrent public social presence.
Getty ImagesEditorial event and archival industry photos.
Contact
Get in touch.
For acting, directing, producing, teaching, speaking, press, coaching, and collaboration inquiries.
Direct Contact
Email Nicholas
For general inquiries, script requests, coaching, or collaboration.
nicholasguilak@gmail.com
Representation
Momentum Talent and Literary Agency
Theatrical representation.
+1 310 858 6655
St8rm
Management · Rep: Liz Fuller
323-287-7791
LA Talent
Commercial · Rep: Natalie Rose Kollar
+1 323 436 7777
Full Contact Page
All Representation & Links
Management, commercial, and all contact options in one place.
Press Kit
Everything industry needs, in one clean place.
Casting, agents, managers, producers, journalists, festival programmers, colleges, and students should find the right materials without digging through old pages.