Ari Devon Sandel was born in Los Angeles, California, and spent his formative years growing up in Calabasas and Tarzana. He attended Taft High School for a year before transferring to Calabasas High School, where he completed his secondary education.
Sandel's academic pursuits continued at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he earned a degree in media arts and received a special certificate in Middle Eastern studies. This unique combination of skills would later serve him well in his professional career.
In 1999, Sandel began his career in entertainment by creating and hosting the comedic TV segment "The Traveler" for the FX Channel's The X Show. This segment, which featured Sandel traveling the globe and offering a humorous perspective on the world's unknown hot spots, was designed to appeal to a young and hip audience.
Sandel's educational background and professional experience eventually led him to pursue a master's degree in film from the University of Southern California. He earned this degree in 2005 and went on to direct and co-write the short film West Bank Story, which won the 2007 Academy Award for best short film, live action.
In 2006, Sandel made his feature documentary directorial debut with Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights - Hollywood to the Heartland, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released nationwide in theaters in 2008.
Sandel continued to work in the film industry, directing episodes of the action comedy series Aim High for Warner Bros. Digital in 2011. He then went on to direct the hit high school comedy The DUFF for CBS Films in 2015, which was nominated for a People's Choice Award and five Teen Choice Awards.
In 2018, Sandel directed the romantic comedy When We First Met for Netflix, which starred Adam Devine and premiered on the streaming platform. He is also set to direct the franchise launch of Universal's Monster High: The Movie, based on the billion-dollar toy line from Mattel, which is scheduled for release in 2022.
Throughout his career, Sandel has been represented by WME and Principatto Young, and is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures of Arts and Sciences. He is also represented by the Harry Walker Agency as a public speaker, and speaks globally about filmmaking and how to tackle controversial subjects through comedy.
In addition to his work in the film industry, Sandel is an adjunct professor at U.S.C's School of Cinematic Arts, where he teaches a graduate-level course on how to navigate the film business.
