> Bio

JONATHAN JOFFE , Writer / Director

 
Jonathan Joffe began his career as a volunteer in a community television station in 1994. Since then he has continually developed his creative technical, and producer skills.

His first major film project, entitled Young Rocket Samurai, was released in 2002. It is an epic children’s tale packed with action, FX, and animation and earned a national broadcast license on Canada’s Space Channel. Since then he has gone on to produce a slate of short films which have won over 15 awards on the independent festival circuit, including the international sensation Cost Of Living, (Starring William B. Davis of The X-Files) which screened at over 45 festivals worldwide, and the award winning thriller The Boiler Room, which was released in 2008.

After Young Rocket Samurai Jonathan Joffe co-founded an ongoing workshop for actors and directors known as Upstart, in conjunction with Actra and ASIA (the Alberta Screen Industries Alliance). Each week directors and actors perform scene studies for the camera from either existing works or original un-produced screenplays. Over the years Jonathan has completed over 100 scenes, with over 100 actors.

January 2007 saw the release of his first TV series Have Guide Will Travel, a 3 part half hour travel documentary about backpacking in Mexico. The show, on which Joffe worked as producer, director, host, and editor, aired nationally on Canadian Learning Television, and is now being distributed by US distributor John McLean Media.

Since then Jonathan Joffe has been prolific having directed a sitcom pilot for an international co-production based out of New York (winner of the 2009 NY Access Pilot competition and nominated for the 2010 Banff TV Festival’s International Pilots competition), and written 10 feature length screen plays. His recent work has earned 4 additional awards, and two of his feature screenplays have been optioned, with one receiving development financing from Telefilm.

Jonathan’s big news for 2010 is the announcement that he has been awarded major funding for his first feature film. 2011 will see production begin on this action / comedy set in a burlesque theatre (title TBA).

Outside of the film industry, Jonathan is a 2nd degree black belt in Wado Kai Karate, a scuba diver / underwater videographer, an avid swing dancer, skier and sport climber, and has backpacked through 13 countries on 3 continents.