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Jesse Moss (filmmaker)

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For the Canadian actor, seeJesse Moss (actor).

Jesse Moss
Moss at the 2014Miami International Film Festival
Born
San Francisco,California,U.S.
Alma materUC Berkeley
Notable workThe Overnighters(2014)
Boys State(2020)
SpouseAmanda McBaine
Children2

Jesse Mossis an American documentary filmmaker and cinematographer known for his cinéma vérité style. His 2014 film,The Overnighters,was shortlisted for best documentary feature at the Oscars. He has directed four independent, feature-length films, and three television documentaries and has produced 15 documentaries.

Moss is a cinema lecturer atSan Francisco State University[1]and lives in theSan Francisco Bay Areawith his wife and frequent collaboratorAmanda McBaineand their two children.[2]His office is in thePresidio, San Francisco.[3]

Early life

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Moss was born in San Francisco and raised inPalo Alto, California.[3]His parents divorced when he was five.[4]Though Moss never had any childhood aspirations toward filmmaking, his parents valued journalism. When Moss was a child, photojournalistRichard Boyle,who was famously depicted as a conflict-prone character dealing with substance abuse problems in Oliver Stone's 1986 movieSalvador,stayed in the Moss home and regaled the young Moss and his brother with stories of his adventures overseas. "In a way, that was inspiring," Moss told David Poland in 2014.[5]

Moss attendedPalo Alto High School.[6]He was not raised in a religious family and considers himself asecular Jew.[7]

Early career

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Moss graduated from theUniversity of California, Berkeleyin 1993. He moved toWashington, D.C.following graduation, where he worked for CongressmanVic Fazio.He was later promoted to policy assistant andspeechwriter.[8]Although he enjoyed his work in politics, he felt creatively frustrated.[9]When he was 26, he metChristine Choy,a documentary filmmaker who was showing her filmWho Killed Vincent Chin?He was struck that documentary film could be journalistic, political, and artistic. Inspired byWho Killed Vincent Chin?and documentaries such asHoop DreamsandThe War Room,Moss decided to pursue filmmaking. So he quit his job and moved to New York in 1996 to work for Choy.[10][11]

Later, he worked as an in-house producer at Cabin Creek Films for documentary filmmakerBarbara Kopple,[8]who had madeHarlan County, USA(1976) andAmerican Dream(1990). "Harlan County, USAis the high water mark of documentary filmmaking for me, "Moss toldIndieWire."It really takes us inside thatextractive industryand finds the human heart of that experience. "[12]

Film career

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Moss' first feature-length documentary wasCon Man(2002), which explores the life ofJames Arthur Hogue,a thief and skilled imposter who fabricated a series of fictional identities for himself and successfully conned his way intoPrinceton University.Moss was director and producer. Hogue was Moss' upperclassman at Palo Alto High School in 1985 when he posed as a student. The film was later picked up byHBOand was screened as part ofCinemax'sReel Lifeseries in 2002.[13][8]

In 2004, Moss madeSpeedo: A Demolition Derby Love Story,which he wrote, produced and directed.Speedofollows the promising racing career and troubled family life of Ed "Speedo" Jager, one of the nation's topdemolition derbydrivers.Speedomade its world premiere at the 2003South by Southwestfestival.[10]It won the "Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature" at the inauguralIndependent Film Festival Bostonin May 2003.[14]The film was later picked up byPOVonPBS.[4]

Moss' next feature documentary,Full Battle Rattle(2008),was co-directed with filmmakerTony Gerber.It is about the simulation in the fictional Iraqi town of Medina Wasl that the US Army built in theMojave Desert,which it uses to help train its army units before they deploy to Iraq.[15]The pair were granted permission to live inside the simulation for the duration of a three-week training rotation. Moss and Gerber filmed on both sides of the "war": Gerber lived with the Army Brigade in training and Moss lived in Medina Wasl.[16]Full Battle Rattlemade its world premiere at the 2008Berlin International Film Festival.[10][17]

Moss is best known for his 2014 filmThe Overnighters,which Eric Kohn ofIndiewirecalled "one of the most remarkable examples of layered non-fiction storytelling to come along in some time"[18]and theLos Angeles Timescalled "Exceptional…a film of disquieting moral complexity."[19]

The Overnightersfollows the story of Pastor Jay Reinke, a Lutheran minister inWilliston, North Dakota,where the oil boom has attracted desperate men looking for work while also causing a severe housing shortage in the area. Reinke opens his church to the men, undermining his place in the eyes of several members his congregation.

The Overnighterswas shortlisted for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars and was named best documentary of 2014 byIndiewire's "The Playlist",[20]Paste[21]andToronto Film Critics Association.[22]

As of Spring 2015, Moss is currently working onReality Party,a new short film about a group of Southern California teenagers who throw a "fake" party, according to Moss' website.[23]

Alongside Amanda McBaine, Moss co-directed the political, coming-of-age documentaryBoys State(2020). It won the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S Documentary Competition at the2020 Sundance Film Festival.It was reportedly acquired byA24andApplefor a record $12 million.[24]

Style

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Moss is most inspired by cinéma vérité (observational filmmaking), and in the case ofThe Overnighters,he wanted to try to film a movie without voiceover or extensive interviews, but film dramatic scenes as they happened.[25]

Jeanette Catsoulis ofThe New York Timespraised Moss for his "observational, near-invisible presence" inThe Overnighters.[26]

Moss is also known for working with a small or nonexistent crew, partially because of budget constraints and partially because of the increased mobility a one-man crew allows for. Moss shot the entirety ofThe Overnightersby himself on location in North Dakota from 2012 to 2013

Filmography

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Awards and nominations

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Speedo: A Demolition Derby Love Story

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  • Winner, Grand Jury Prize, Boston Independent Film Festival[14]
  • Winner, Audience Award, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival[8]
  • Winner, Jury Prize, Newport International Film Festival[27]

Full Battle Rattle

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  • Winner, Special Jury Prize, 2008 SXSW Film Festival[28]

The Overnighters

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  • Winner, Special Jury Prize for Intuitive Filmmaking (Sundance Film Festival)[29]
  • Nomination, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary (Directors Guild of America)[30]
  • Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary Feature[31]
  • Best Documentary Film of 2014 (Toronto Film Critics Association)[32]
  • Nominations, Best Documentary Feature and Best Director (Cinema Eye)[33]
  • Voted Best Documentary of 2014 (Nonfics)[34]
  • Top Documentary of 2014 (Indiewire's "The Playlist" )[35]
  • The Best Documentary of 2014 (Paste)[36]

Boys State

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  • Winner, Grand Jury Prize, U.S Documentary Competition (Sundance Film Festival)[37]

References

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  1. ^Morales, Jonathan (January 2014)."Cinema lecturer headed to Sundance | SF State News".San Francisco State University.RetrievedMarch 14,2021.
  2. ^"About – Jesse Moss Films".jessemoss.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  3. ^abScarlett, Jackson (January 20, 2014)."What are you working on with Jesse Moss – 7x7".7x7.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  4. ^abBadgley, Shawn (November 28, 2003)."Demolition Man | Documentarian Jesse Moss on 'Speedo'".Austin Chronicle.RetrievedMarch 18,2021.
  5. ^DP/30: The Overnighters, Jesse Moss.YouTube.October 30, 2014.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  6. ^Stannard, Matthew B. (March 18, 2002)."Documentary probes life of 'Mystery Boy' / Filmmaker and ex-classmate analyzes drifter who duped Palo Alto High, Princeton".SFGATE.RetrievedMarch 18,2021.
  7. ^"A Roof over Their Heads: Jesse Moss on the Overnighters | Filmmaker Magazine".October 20, 2014.
  8. ^abcd"25 New Faces of Indie Film".Filmmaker Magazine.Summer 2003.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  9. ^JESSE MOSS '93 on UC Berkeley Education.YouTube.February 24, 2014.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  10. ^abcBen Nieporent."eFilmCritic – SXSW '08 Interview:" Full Battle Rattle "Directors Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss".efilmcritic.Archived fromthe originalon May 18, 2013.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  11. ^Jackson, Tabitha (October 2, 2014)."Jesse Moss On The Role of Empathy in Making The Overnighters".Sundance Institute.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  12. ^Kohn, Eric (October 15, 2014)."Interview: Jesse Moss Discusses 'The Overnighters' – Indiewire".Indiewire.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  13. ^Chocano, Carina (March 15, 2002)."True-life lies".Salon.RetrievedMarch 18,2021.
  14. ^abHong, Julie J. (June 9, 2003)."Entertaining but not without faults"(PDF).The Tech.Vol. 123, no. 27.
  15. ^Scott, A.O. (July 9, 2008)."Movie review -Full Battle Rattle (2007)".New York Times.RetrievedMay 27,2015.
  16. ^Dawson, Nick (July 9, 2008)."Tony Gerber & Jesse Moss, Full Battle Rattle".Filmmaker Magazine.RetrievedMarch 14,2021.
  17. ^Honeycutt, Kirk (February 12, 2008)."Full Battle Rattle".The Hollywood Reporter.AP News.RetrievedMarch 14,2021.
  18. ^Eric Kohn (January 18, 2014)."Sundance Review: Stirring Documentary 'The Overnighters' – Indiewire".Indiewire.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  19. ^Los Angeles Times (October 30, 2014)."Review: 'Overnighters' an intimate chronicle of boomtown job seekers – LA Times".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  20. ^"The 22 Best Documentaries Of 2014".IndieWire, December 18, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  21. ^"The 12 Best Documentaries of 2014".Paste,December 11, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  22. ^"Guess what? Toronto critics love 'Boyhood' too…".Uproxx,December 16, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  23. ^"Short – Jesse Moss Films".jessemoss.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  24. ^Coyle, Jake (February 2, 2020)."'Minari,' 'Boys State' win top honors at Sundance ".ABC News.RetrievedMarch 14,2021.
  25. ^"A Roof over Their Heads: Jesse Moss on The Overnighters".Filmmaker Magazine.October 20, 2014.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  26. ^Catsoulis, Jeannette (October 9, 2014)."Thou Shall Help Others, Maybe 'The Overnighters' Looks at Migrant Workers".New York Times.RetrievedMay 27,2015.
  27. ^"Speedo: A Demolition Derby Love Story – Jesse Moss Films".jessemoss.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  28. ^Jones, Michael (March 12, 2008)."2008 SXSW Jury Awards announced".Variety.RetrievedMarch 14,2021.
  29. ^"The Overnighters – Jesse Moss Films".jessemoss.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  30. ^"DGA Announces Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and Documentary for 2014".dga.org.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  31. ^"15 DOCUMENTARY FEATURES ADVANCE IN 2014 OSCAR RACE".Oscars.org – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.December 2014.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  32. ^"» And The Winners Are… - Toronto Film Critics Association".torontofilmcritics.December 15, 2014.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  33. ^"Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking".cinemaeyehonors.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  34. ^"2014 Nonfics Poll of the Best Documentaries of the Year".Nonfics.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  35. ^The Playlist Staff (December 18, 2014)."The 22 Best Documentaries Of 2014".The Playlist.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  36. ^"The 12 Best Documentaries of 2014".pastemagazine.December 10, 2014.RetrievedMay 25,2015.
  37. ^"U-s-grand-jury-prize-documentary".
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