Justin Matthew Garza was born in 1983. Raised in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, he grew up on stage competitively acting at a very early age. He attended Columbia College Chicago for acting and film directing. In 2007, Justin felt led to service, enlisted in the Navy, and served 12 years as a Navy SEAL and Special Operations Hand-to-Hand combat instructor. After leaving service, Justin obtained an MFA in Narrative Film Directing from the University of California (UCLA) Theater, Film, and Televison Graduate School, and studied at UCLA's Extension school for Screenwriting and Producing. Based in Los Angeles, Justin is known for Amazon Prime's Terminal List (2022), Alex Garland's upcoming movie Civil War (2023) and The Unexpected (2022) He is the recipient of the Delia Salvi Memorial Award for directing and has directed award-winning short films, prime-time television spots, and commercials.