Jesse Harris (director)

American film director

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Jesse Harris (born December 8, 1985)[citation needed] is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is the founder of the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY). His film, Borrego (2022), released January 14, 2022 in theaters and digital in the US and came to Netflix on May 14, 2022.[1][2]

## Early life and education[edit]

Harris was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. Beginning at age 8, Harris found his love for filmmaking and started making home movies.[3]

When Harris was 17 years old, he convinced his parents that instead of going to college, he should make a feature film rather than film school.[4] The film, LIVING LIFE was written, directed and produced by Harris in 2003 and was later picked up for distribution and released theatrically in 2005. The Seattle Times review of the film said Harris showed great promise and had talent to burn.[5]

## Career[edit]

In 2007, after hearing from other aspiring filmmakers after the release of his first film, Harris founded NFFTY (National Film Festival for Talented Youth).[6][7] The festival aimed to support up and coming filmmakers 24 years old and younger. Under Harris' leadership, the festival grew into the largest and most prestigious youth film festival in the world.[8]

Harris began directing commercials and advertising in 2008. He was a runner up for the national Heinz Ketchup commercial contest.[9] Harris' commercial work has been seen on TV around the world, working with clients such as Volvo, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Disney, Samsung and more.[10]

Wanting to return to making movies, in 2018 Harris wrote and directed the short film WIND IN THE NIGHT[11] as a proof of concept for his next feature film. The film was one of seven films selected for the 2019 Prix SNCF du Polar in France , was Closing Night at Seattle International Film Festival ShortsFest and was picked up for distribution in France, Asia, UK and USA. IndieShorts Magazine called the film "An aesthetic victory, Jesse Harris' 'Wind in the Night' showcases its director's cinematic vision and expertise over his craft."[12]

In 2020 Harris directed his 2nd feature film, BORREGO.[13] He also wrote the screenplay and was a producer on the film, made under his production company, Abcde Pictures.[14] The film was shot in Spain because of the pandemic.[15] It stars Lucy Hale, Nicholas Gonzalez, Leynar Gomez, Jorge A. Jimenez and Olivia Trujillo. The US and Spanish rights were bought by Saban Films and released January 22, 2022. The film was the #3 Best Rated Film Release in January 2022 according to IMDB.[16][17][18][1] Borrego came to Netflix in the US & Canada on May 14, 2022. The film quickly became the #3 Most Watched Movie the week it released.[19][20]

## Recognition[edit]

In 2009, Variety named Jesse one of 25 talents who transformed youth entertainment, in their annual Youth Impact Report. [16] In 2014, Harris was named a Global Shaper, an initiative of the World Economic Forum, working with other young people around the world to better their communities.[21]

## Filmography[edit]

Title  | Year  | Type  | Role

|
|
|

Living Life  | 2005  | Feature Film  | Writer, director, producer
Wind in the Night  | 2018  | Short Film  | Writer, director, producer
Borrego  | 2022  | Feature Film  | Writer, director, producer

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Lucy Hale Fights for Her Life in the Desert In Thrilling First "Borrego" Trailer (Exclusive) | Entertainment Tonight". www.etonline.com. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
2. ^ "9 Anticipated Movies Coming Out In January 2022". ScreenRant. 2021-12-29. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
3. ^ "Gamble pays off for young Ballard filmmaker". The Seattle Times. 2005-04-07. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
4. ^ "A Fiendish Conversation with NFFTY's Jesse Harris". Seattle Met. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
5. ^ "Local filmmaker shows great promise with first feature". The Seattle Times. 2005-04-08. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
6. ^ "Young Seattle filmmaker now focuses on NFFTY's growth". The Seattle Times. 2009-04-19. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
7. ^ Debruge, Peter (2009-12-03). "Jesse Harris creates forum for kid directors". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
8. ^ Radmer, Sarah. "Seattle hosts world's largest youth film festival | Crosscut". crosscut.com. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
9. ^ "Ketchup ends the panic; student takes Heinz prize". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
10. ^ "World Famous Looks Forward for Volvo". www.adweek.com. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
11. ^ "Jesse Harris - Contact Info, Agent, Manager | IMDbPro". pro.imdb.com. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
12. ^ "Short Film Review: 'Wind In The Night' Questions The Existence Of Freedom! - Indie Shorts Mag". Indie Shorts Mag. 10 December 2018. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
13. ^ Ritman, Alex (2021-07-06). "Cannes First Look: Lucy Hale in Survival Thriller "Borrego" (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
14. ^ "Abcde pictures". Abcde pictures. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
15. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (2020-10-27). "'Borrego' Starts Shooting in Spain; Clear Horizon Boards Sales Ahead of AFM (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
16. ^ Iraniem, Hugo (2022-02-26). "Best Films Released In January 2022, Ranked According to IMDb". CBR. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
17. ^ Lang, Brent (2021-10-07). "Saban Films Buys Survival Thriller "Borrego" Starring Lucy Hale (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
18. ^ "Exclusive: Borrego Clip Starring Lucy Hale in Action Thriller". ComingSoon.net. 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
19. ^ Jason Wiese (2022-05-18). "Netflix Top Movies And Shows: What's Trending On May 18, 2022". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
20. ^ "New Movies + Shows to Watch this Weekend: 'Senior Year' on Netflix + More". Retrieved 2022-05-21.
21. ^ "Global Shapers Alumni Network". Global Shapers. Retrieved 2022-01-08.