Lina Todd

Casting director

Lina Todd is a Casting Director, Producer,  Festival Project Coordinator & coach with over three decades of successful experience working in New York, Los Angeles, Europe and China. She is a member of the Casting Society of America (CSA) and Local 817. In her formative years, Ms. Todd received an MA in Drama from Columbia University, mentoring under such luminaries as Joseph Anthony, Howard Clurman, Joseph Mankiewicz, & others.

She has cast films for many prominent directors including Peter Weir, Douglas McGraft, John Moore, Gilles Paquet-Brenner, Jodie Foster, Shirin Neshat & Shoja Azari, Kenneth Lonergan, Mikhael Hers, Sandra Goldbacher, Jennifer Lynch and Ning Hao. Some of the wonderful talent she has cast include: Sam Rockwell, Michelle Williams, Saorise Ronan, Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Mark Ruffalo, Matt Dillon, Faye Dunaway, Anne Hathaway,Kerry Washington & Jim Broadbent, to name a few.

She was the VP of Development & Casting for the former Shooting Gallery for ten years where she packaged talent & brought together creative teams. Ms. Todd co-founded with Rajendra Roy the ‘Breakthrough Performers’ program for the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF), that she directed for over a decade, collaborating with Variety’s ‘Ten Actors to Watch’. Alumni for this program include: Jessica Chastain, Alicia Vikander, Rooney Mara, Domhnall Gleason, Adam Driver, & others of note. She served on the jury of the ‘Shooting Stars’ program for the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), selecting Europe’s Top New Talent in 2012; as well, she has mentored & lectured for the program, a highlight of the festival. She worked over a decade as a consultant to the Berlinale on the prestigious International Jury and is a celebrity strategist for other international festivals. She conducts international seminars in film acting in Europe & the US. and has trained casting directors in Shanghai, China.During the course of her notable multinational film industry career, she has discovered, cast, & promoted dozens and dozens of actors from well over thirty nations.

She currently cast Shirin Neshat’s first US film, Land of Dreams, starring Matt Dillon. The film premiered at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. She is the Talent Director for the Gotham Awards. Recently she was on the jury for Estonia’s Tallinn Film Festival’s “Black Night Stars.”

She is delighted to have received an Artios nomination for her work on Swan Song.

To view her full filmography and upcoming projects, please visit her IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0865215/?ref_=nv_sr_1

"In an age when having a point of view & the brains to back it up is a rare thing, Lina is the real thing. She's got one of the best eyes for talent in the business, & more grace than just about anyone working today."

 Rajendra Roy, Head Curator of Film, MOMA

“There is a famous saying that “the key to a great film os casting…casting…casting…I came to understand that concept only after I worked with Lina Todd in my film “Land of Dreams.” Her intuition, intellegence, vast knowledge about today’s talents, and most importantly her passion for a wide range of filmmaking, are genuinely rare and remarkable.”

Shirin Neshat, Visual Artist and Filmmaker

Lina delights in bringing projects to life with her creative vision, love of the collaborative process, and inviting the unexpected to dream up exciting and engaging possibilities. She has always been a joy to work with both as a casting director and Talent Director for The Gotham Awards.   

One of Lina’s superpowers is her global expertise.  Her depth of knowledge and experience in working with international producers and studios is rare.  She is adored by actors, directors, agents, managers and producers around the world.  Her taste and talent knows no bounds.

Jeffrey Sharp, Producer & Executive Director of Gotham (formerly IFP)

“Lina Todd is a gift to any project. I was privileged to work with her. Her instinct & skill at assembling a cast is matched only by her incredible ability to really listen to the material itself, & to bring a screenplay to life.”

 Jennifer Lynch, Director

CONTACT: linatoddcasting@gmail.com