Jon Hess with screenwriter David McKenna
Jon Hess has been a creative force as a director, producer, and writer for over a decade. He developed and co-produced the controversial "AMERICAN HISTORY X" (New Line), written by David McKenna, produced by John Morrissey, and starring Edward Norton in the role for which he was given an Academy Award nomination. Jon most recently completed writing the screenplay "SAN PEDRO", based on the novel by Eddie Bunker, and co-writing "VIRGINIA: The Secret Life of Virginia Hill", with Andy Edmonds, based on her book. Jon has projects in development based on a novella by Joyce Carol Oates ("LOVE AND DEATH") and the highly acclaimed novel "A LITTLE MORE THAN KIN", by cult writer Ernest Herbert. Jon also teaches Directing and Producing workshops as Director in Residence at Emerson College (LA Center). He also leads screen-writing seminars and workshops.
Jon grew up in New York City where he attended The Children's Theatre Workshop and The Rudolf Steiner School. His passion for drama led him to New York University and The Tisch School of the Arts where he wrote, produced and directed the award-winning student film "DOUBLE OR NOTHING", and studied acting with the late Lee Strasberg. By the age of twenty-three, he had directed over a dozen industrial and documentary films and won numerous awards for his work. His corporate clients included Coca-Cola, Speedo, The American Cancer Society, BF Goodrich and Xerox Learning Systems.
Jon came to Los Angeles to complete his MFA at the American Film Institute where he wrote, produced, and directed "SPOIL THE CHILD" which aired on A&E, screened at Filmex, won the C.I.N.E. Golden Eagle, the Blue Ribbon at the American Film Festival, the Gold Award at The Houston International Film Festival and Best Film at The Boston Film Forum. On the strength of "SPOIL THE CHILD", The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Jon a Directing Internship, Creative Artists Agency signed him, and Roger Corman hired him to direct "LAWLESS LAND" which was shot in Chile.
After viewing his Corman film, Universal hired Jon to direct "WATCHERS" based on the bestseller by Dean R. Koontz. Mick Martin & Marsha Porter (Video Movie Guide) say, "WATCHERS is a refreshing sci-fi-horror film... it plays fair with the viewer throughout. Director Jon Hess leaves quite a bit to the imagination, building the kind of suspense seldom seen in this day of gore-infested hack'em ups."
CBS then hired Jon to direct, "NOT OF THIS WORLD", a science fiction action adventure that Jon shot in eighteen days. Variety said, "NOT OF THIS WORLD reasserts the joy of solid storytelling... it's directed with such style by Jon Hess and acted so straightforwardly by the company, that this adventure demands attention." Jon went on to direct "ASSASSIN" for HBO Home Video.
Jon developed and directed "EXCESSIVE FORCE" for New Line Cinema. The picture starred Thomas Ian Griffith, James Earl Jones, Burt Young and Lance Henriksen. It was released theatrically and sold over $7 million in domestic home video (New York Times).
Jon wrote, produced, and directed "INFIDELITY" (Showcase), and also directed "MARS" (Buena Vista/Polygram), and "LEGION" (Kushner-Locke), both of which aired on the SCI-FI Channel.
| CURRICULUM VITAE | ||||||
| 4150 Michael Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90066 |
tel: 310: 822-4050 fax: 310: 822-1311 | |||||
| EDUCATION | ||||||
| MFA BFA |
American Film Institute (Directing) New York University (The Tisch School of the Arts) Lee Strasberg Institute (Acting) Rudolph Steiner School (High School) |
1986 1979 1980 1975 | ||||
| PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE | ||||||
| AMERICAN HISTORY X | Co-Producer | New Line | 1998 | |||
| SAN PEDRO | Writer | 1999 | ||||
| VIRGINIA | Writer | 1999 | ||||
| LEGION | Director | Kushner-Locke | 1997 | |||
| MARS | Director | Buena Vista/Ploygram | 1996 | |||
| INFIDELITY | Writer, Producer, Director | Showcase | 1996 | |||
| EXCESSIVE FORCE | Director | New Line | 1993 | |||
| NOT OF THIS WORLD | Director | CBS | 1992 | |||
| ASSASSIN | Director | HBO Home Video | 1991 | |||
| WATCHERS | Director | Universal | 1990 | |||
| ALLIGATOR II | Director | ABC | 1989 | |||
| LAWLESS LAND | Director | Concorde | 1988 | |||
| SPOIL THE CHILD | Written, Produced and Directed | AFI | 1987 | |||
| Wrote, produced and directed over a dozen award-winning industrial and documentary films, for Coca-Cola, Speedo, The American Cancer Society, BF Goodrich, Bulova Watch Company, and Xerox Learning Systems | ||||||
| TEACHING | ||||||
| Fall 1997 - present Directors Workshop Emerson College, LA Center Private Seminars and Workshops in writing for the screen. |
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| AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS | ||||||
| Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Directing Scholarship; C.I.N.E. Golden Eagle, Blue Ribbon at American Film Festival, Gold Award at Houston International Film Festival, Best Film at The Boston Film Forum; $7 million in video sales of EXCESSIVE FORCE (New York Times). | ||||||
| PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES | ||||||
| Member of the Directors Guild of America 1990 to the present | ||||||