Biography
Yehuda Duenyas (he/they) is a boundary-pushing Intimacy Coordinator and creative director at the forefront of shaping how we tell stories of intimacy, vulnerability, and human connection through film, television, live performance and new media. With over 15 years working both above and below the line-Duenyas has emerged as the intimacy space's stealth power player, shaping the industry through a deep level of authenticity, sensitivity, realism and playfulness.
Since starting their intimacy practice in NYC's vibrant live theatre performance scene in 2007, they have expertly navigated the complexities of intimacy in storytelling, with a strong commitment to LGBTQIA+ representation. Duenyas is SAG-AFTRA registered and specializes in choreography for nudity, simulated sex, sexual violence, queer intimacy, kink, power dynamics and experimental storytelling. His approach is a singular blend of artistic vision, choreographer-like movement expertise, industry fluency and a director's intuition. He intuitively creates safe spaces for cast and crew to create their best, safest work that is also stylistically versatile-from realistic drama, to thriller and horror, comedy, sci-fi, romance, as well as motion capture and VFX. Duenyas' past collaborators and projects have garnered critical acclaim, cultural impact and awards recognition-reflecting his ability to navigate both creative risk and industry rigor. He's built systems for safety on TV and film sets while raising the bar for artistry, making brave work safer and safe work braver. In 2022, Duenyas co-founded CINTIMA, a SAG-AFTRA accredited training organization advancing the next generation of intimacy professionals through a lens of equity, artistry, and cultural fluency.
Yehuda's work and collaborations have received a Primetime Emmy award, 2 Webby awards, 8 Cannes Lions, 11 Clios, 2 Facebook awards, and an OBIE award. Notable film & TV credits include projects, such as: "I Want Your Sex" (Black Bear), "Westworld Season 4" (HBO); "The Afterparty Season 2" (SONY/APPLE TV); "MONSTER: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" (Ryan Murphy/NETFLIX); and "American Gigolo" (Paramount+/Showtime). Intimacy for performance credits include: Faye Driscoll's Weathering (NY Live Arts; The Blackwood, Toronto),; The Beautiful People (Rogue Machine, LA); and Tom Bradshaw's Fulfillment (The Flea, NYC; ATC, Chicago). Yehuda is a Primetime Emmy award-winning experiential director with a focus on immersive new media, storytelling, and technology. His clients have included Intel, Spotify, Netflix, Google, YouTube, Walt Disney Imagineering, Comcast, HBO, Showtime, MGM/UA, among others. He has also directed experiences for properties and brands such as: Game of Thrones, Billions, Audi, Jet Blue, Dixie, and Cathay Pacific.
He holds an MFA in Integrated Electronic Arts from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; a BA in Theater cum laude from Skidmore College; and he was a founding member of the award-winning underground democratic theater collaborative The National Theater of The United States America in NYC. Duenyas is bi-coastal, local to Los Angeles and New York City.
