Biography
Jeff Lester, a U.C. Berkeley alumnus, has been directing since 1996 and has earned numerous awards for his work. He was initially hired by Robert Redford's Sundance Channel to direct and produce segments for Sundance Dailies, a half-hour show showcasing the Sundance Film Festival, which aired on both the Sundance Channel and Showtime. Building on this collaboration, Lester created, wrote, produced, and directed The Shorts Show, a pilot series about short filmmaking hosted by Oscar winner Laura Dern.
Lester made his filmmaking debut with the short film The Last Real Cowboys, featuring Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Billy Bob Thornton and veteran actor Mickey Jones. He directed, produced, and co-wrote the story alongside screenwriter Rudy Gaines. The film premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and gained popularity at over 20 international festivals, including South By Southwest, Aspen Shorts Fest, New York's Shorts International Film Festival (where it won Best Comedy), Telluride Mountain Film Festival (Best Short Film), London Film Festival, and Stockholm Film Festival. It was selected for the Ifilm/AMC Theaters premiere showcase for short films and qualified for Academy Award consideration. The short was licensed for on-demand viewing by Atom Films and IndieFlix. A feature-length screenplay inspired by the 12-minute short was developed by Lester, Gaines, and Thornton, with Gaines and Lester writing the script. Thornton, a longtime friend of Lester, is set to star, with Lester directing.
The feature film Broken, starring Heather Graham and Jeremy Sisto, originated from an original story by Lester and was written by collaborator Drew Pillsbury. Both Lester and Pillsbury co-produced the project. Broken premiered at AFI Fest and had a limited theatrical release through First Look International, gaining a strong on-demand audience. Lester also directed the short film Mr. President, created and edited within 48 hours for the Elevate Film Festival, where it won Best Short Narrative Film (Jury and Audience Awards) and Best Director for Lester. His documentary debut, Speed of Life, tells the inspiring story of competitive snowboarder Amy Purdy. It premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival and was selected for Aspen Shorts Fest, Maui Film Festival, Gaia Film Festival, Port Clinton International Film Festival, and Heart of Gold International Film Festival. Speed of Life is available on-demand via IndieFlix.
In addition to films, Lester has directed a wide range of commercials, music videos, branded content, and live multi-camera events, earning multiple awards throughout his career.
