Hedden was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Laguna Beach.
[1] While a student at Laguna Beach High School, he began making short films.
[2] He wrote and directed his first feature film Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989), which polarized critics, with Leonard Maltin dubbing it "The best film in the Friday series, imaginatively directed and written by Hedden" yet Entertainment Weekly labeling the film the eighth-worst sequel ever made.
[4] Rob Hedden also wrote, directed and co-produced the independent feature Boxboarders!
The comedy won the "Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking" award at the 2007 Newport Beach Film Festival and was nominated for "Best Picture" at the 2007 Hollywood Giffoni International Film Festival.