Jason Mann
We are delighted to announce that Jason Mann, a talented filmmaker based in California, will be presenting a masterclass on “The Art of Film”. He will present his experience in film-making in the United States, from scriptwriting to fundraising and casting to production and marketing. And, in an exciting development, he will be sharing his latest film project, which he hopes to film in Cyprus.
Jason Mann is an American filmmaker known for his unique storytelling and strong visual style. Born and raised in San Mateo County, California, he pursued his passion for cinema by earning a Bachelor of Arts in Film Production from Loyola Marymount University and later an M.F.A. in Film Directing from Columbia University in New York.
His early career was marked by the success of short films such as “Delicacy”, which premiered at prestigious festivals like Telluride, Tribeca, and Austin in 2012. His student film, “On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres”, earned multiple accolades, while his Italy-shot short “Laocoön” was broadcast on PBS.
Mann gained widespread recognition after winning HBO’s “Project Greenlight”, a competitive docu-series produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, which gave him the opportunity to direct the HBO feature film “The Leisure Class”.
The film was produced in association with Miramax and Pearl Street Films, further solidifying Mann’s presence in Hollywood. His ability to balance humor and drama caught the attention of legendary filmmakers, and in 2022, he was honored by Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope Screenplay Competition for one of his upcoming projects.
Beyond directing, Mann has an extensive background in cinematography, editing, and producing. He was the cinematographer for the Slovenian political thriller “Vsi proti vsem” and co-edited the feature documentary “Radical Wolfe”, which Variety named one of the Best Documentaries of 2023. The film, featuring narration by Jon Hamm, premiered at IFC Center in New York and was later acquired by Netflix.
Mann has also contributed to numerous acclaimed projects, including “A Mighty Nice Man”, a National Board of Review award-winning short, and “The Year of the Gun”, a narrative feature shot in Lagos, Nigeria. His music video work has been recognized by MTV Africa, and he has collaborated on web series such as “Bad Dads”, starring Michael Cera.
In addition to his filmmaking career, Mann is also an actor, musician, and educator. He has performed in improv theater productions in San Francisco and appeared in the Croatian feature film “Aleksi”, which premiered at South by Southwest. His expertise in film history and directing has led him to teach courses at Columbia University, Loyola Marymount University, and the University of Dubrovnik. Jason is a member of both the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America.