about us

Established in 2018, Truant Pictures is an independent production company focused on developing, producing and financing distinctive stories for audiences worldwide. With offices in Sydney and Los Angeles, Truant partners with emerging and established filmmakers to create commercially driven, artistically ambitious projects across film, television and documentary, championing original voices and bold storytelling.

Recent credits include the sci-fi romance Turn Me On (San Sebastián ’24), dark comedy thriller ‘I Don’t Understand You‘ (SXSW ’24), coming-of-age drama ‘Mouse’ (Berlinale ’26), and the upcoming New Zealand crime thriller ‘God Bless You Mr. Kopu’ (TIFF ’26). Truant is currently in production on dark comedy thriller ‘Fangs, starring Joel Edgerton and Toni Collette, due to premiere in 2027.

Team

Toby Nalbandian

IMDB

Toby joined Animal Logic Entertainment (ALE) in 2013, where he worked across the development of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s *Peter Rabbit* franchise, as well as ALE’s broader slate of animated and live-action feature films.

In 2019, Toby was instrumental in the launch of Truant Pictures and now serves as Vice President of Production & Development, overseeing the company’s growing slate of feature films, television and documentary projects. Working across development, production and the creative process, he plays a key role in identifying and nurturing distinctive projects and filmmakers from development through to production and release.

His recent producing credits include the sci-fi romance 'Turn Me On', which premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in 2024; the dark comedy thriller 'I Don’t Understand You', which premiered at SXSW in 2024; the coming-of-age drama 'Mouse', which premiered at the Berlinale in 2026; and the New Zealand crime thriller 'God Bless You, Mr Kopu', premiering at TIFF in 2026.

Upcoming projects include the New Zealand crime thriller 'God Bless You, Mr Kopu' and 'Fangs', a dark comedy thriller starring Joel Edgerton and Toni Collette, currently in production and scheduled for release in 2027.

Originally from Sydney, Toby now divides his time between Sydney and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the UCLA Producers Program.

Gregory Schmidt

IMDB

Gregory joined Animal Logic Entertainment (ALE) in 2015, working across the company’s development slate and contributing to the development and production of animated, hybrid and live-action feature films. In 2019, he helped launch Truant Pictures, ALE’s specialty live-action division, and now serves as Vice President of Production & Development, overseeing the company’s growing slate of narrative features, documentaries and television projects.

At Truant, Gregory works across development and production, collaborating with filmmakers, writers and creative partners to bring distinctive projects from concept through to production. His recent producing credits include the sci-fi romance 'Turn Me On' (2024), the dark comedy thriller 'I Don’t Understand You' (2024), 'The Reunion' (2024), and coming-of-age drama 'Mouse' (2026), which premiered at the Berlinale.

Upcoming projects include the New Zealand crime thriller 'God Bless You, Mr Kopu' and 'Fangs', a dark comedy thriller starring Joel Edgerton and Toni Collette, currently in production and scheduled for release in 2027.

Before joining ALE, Gregory worked with Wes Craven and Lawrence Kasdan, contributing to a range of independent and major studio productions, including 'Darling Companion'. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Gregory is based in Los Angeles and works across Truant’s expanding international development and production slate.