Inbal B. Lessner
{{Short description|Israeli producer and film editor}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Inbal B. Lessner
| native_name = ינבאל לסנר
| native_name_lang = he
| image = Image - Inbal Lessner.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| occupation = Editor, producer
| years_active = 2003-present
}}
Inbal B. Lessner ({{Langx|he|ינבאל לסנר}}) is a producer and film editor. She has served as producer and editor on Brave Miss World (2013), Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult (2020), and Escaping Twin Flames (2023).
Lessner has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking and twice nominated for an American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Documentary – (Non-Theatrical). In 2024, Lessner was awarded the American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Documentary – (Non-Theatrical).
Early life
Lessner was born in Israel, where she began editing in high school.{{cite web|url=
https://cceditors.ca/2021/01/12/editing-seduced-inside-the-nxivm-cult/|title=Editing Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult with Inbal B. Lessner, ACE and Gillian McCarthy|website=Canadian Cinema Editors|date=January 12, 2021|access-date=March 3, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://cceditors.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TEC058-Seduced-.pdf|title=The Editor's Cut - Episode 058 - Editing SEDUCED: INSIDE THE NXIVM CULT with Inbal B. Lessner, ACE and Gillian McCarthy|website=Canadian Cinema Editors|access-date=March 3, 2024}} Lessner served in the Israel Defense Forces, where she produced training films.{{cite web|url=https://www.wmm.com/filmmaker/Inbal+B.+Lessner/|title=Inbal B. Lessner|website=Women Make Movies|access-date=March 3, 2024}} She attended New York University Tisch School of the Arts.{{cite web|url=https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2014/july/61-tisch-alumni-receive-emmy-nods.html|title=63 NYU Alumni Receive Emmy Nods|website=New York University|date=July 15, 2014|access-date=March 3, 2024}}
Career
Frequently collaborating with Cecilia Peck, Lessner has served as producer and editor on Brave Miss World a documentary revolving around Linor Abargil spreading awareness around sexual assault following her own.{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/documentary-brave-miss-world-linor-abargil/|title=A Conversation with the Makers of 'Brave Miss World'|website=Vice|first=Alison|last=Stevenson|date=June 2, 2014|access-date=March 3, 2024}} The film was distributed by Netflix and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking.{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/brave-miss-world-linor-abargil-on-her-journey-from-rape-victim-to-beauty-queen-to-activist|title='Brave Miss World': Linor Abargil on Her Journey From Rape Victim to Beauty Queen to Activist|website=The Daily Beast|first=Linor|last=Abargil|date=April 29, 2014|accessdate=March 3, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/brave-miss-world|title=Brave Miss World|website=Primetime Emmy Awards|access-date=March 3, 2024}} She also served as producer, editor and writer on Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult which explores the NXIVM cult through the perspective of India Oxenberg for Starz.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/10/seduced-inside-the-nxivm-cult-trailer-premiere-date-starz-docuseries-india-oxenberg-1234596167/|title='Seduced: Inside The NXIVM Cult': Trailer & Premiere Date For Four-Part Starz Docuseries|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Erik|last=Pederson|date=October 13, 2020|accessdate=March 3, 2024}} The series earned Lessner a nomination for American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Documentary – (Non-Theatrical).{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/ace-eddie-awards-2021-nominations-list-film-tv-nominees-1234711839/|title=ACE Eddie Awards Nominations Include 'Sound Of Metal', 'Borat' And 'Minari', 'Ted Lasso' And 'Hamilton'|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Patrick|last=Hipes|date=March 11, 2021|access-date=March 3, 2024}}
Lessner also produced and edited Escaping Twin Flames a Netflix series which explores and critiques the Twin Flames Universe. The series earned Lessner the 2024 American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Documentary – (Non-Theatrical).{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/10/dating-cult-twin-flames-docuseries-netflix-1235563135/|title=Dating Cult Twin Flames Docuseries Finds Love At Netflix|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Peter|last=White|date=October 4, 2023|access-date=March 3, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/01/ace-eddie-awards-nominations-2024-list-1235804200/|title=ACE Eddie Awards Nominations: 'Oppenheimer', 'Barbie', 'Anatomy Of A Fall' & More Vie For Editing Prizes|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Erik|last=Pederson|date=January 25, 2024|access-date=March 3, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2024/artisans/news/ace-eddie-awards-winners-2024-1235928090/ |website=Variety |access-date=March 7, 2024 |title='Oppenheimer,' 'The Holdovers' Win Top Honors for Editing at ACE Eddie Awards |date=4 March 2024 }}
Lessner has additionally served as editor on The Seventies, The Eighties, The Nineties and The 2000s for CNN, earning a nomination for American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Documentary – (Non-Theatrical) for her work on The Nineties,{{cite web|url=https://www.uncsa.edu/news/20170830-convocation-new-faculty.aspx|title=Chancellor Lindsay Bierman welcomes new students and faculty with gritty advice|website=University of North Carolina School of the Arts|first=Lauren|last=Whitaker|date=January 30, 2017|access-date=March 3, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/american-cinema-editors-eddie-awards-2018-full-winners-list-1078469/|title=Eddie Awards: 'Dunkirk,' 'I, Tonya' Top American Cinema Editors' Honors|website=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Carolyn|last=Giardina|date=January 26, 2018|access-date=March 3, 2024}} Victim/Suspect,{{cite web|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/119327-most-films-go-through-what-i-call-an-accordion-process-editors-inbal-lessner-and-kim-roberts-on-victim-suspect/|title="Most Films Go Through What I Call an Accordion Process:" Editors Inbal Lessner and Kim Roberts on Victim/Suspect|website=Filmmaker|first=Filmmaker|last=Staff|date=January 31, 2023|access-date=March 3, 2024}} and Stormy.{{cite web|url=https://schedule.sxsw.com/2024/films/2197914|title=Stormy|website=South by Southwest|access-date=March 3, 2024}}
Lessner served as co-editor on the 2025 film October H8TE – The Fight for the Soul of America.{{cite web |date=2025-02-17 |title=About the Filmmakers |url=https://www.octoberh8te.com/about-the-filmmakers |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=oct-8-landing}} The film covers 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses after the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel.{{cite web |author=The Village Green |date=2024-11-27 |title=South Orange Filmmaker Takes a Hard Look at Rise in Antisemitism in U.S. Since Oct. 7 Terror Attacks |url=https://villagegreennj.com/towns/south-orange/south-orange-filmmaker-takes-a-hard-look-at-rise-in-antisemitism-in-u-s-since-oct-7-terror-attacks/ |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=The Village Green}}{{cite web |last=Brownstein |first=Bill |date=2025-01-07 |title=Brownstein: Documentary on spiralling antisemitism makes its Canadian debut in Montreal |url=https://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/article660621.html |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=Montreal Gazette}} Co-produced by Wendy Sachs and Debra Messing, the film includes interviews with Michael Rapaport, Noa Tishby, U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sheryl Sandberg, Dan Senor, Scott Galloway, and Mosab Yousef. It explores the organization of Students for Justice in Palestine, and argues that SJP promoted anti-Zionism, and ultimately antisemitism on campus.{{cite web |last=Steinberg |first=Jessica |date=2024-11-05 |title='October H8te' documentary aims to understand US college alignment with Hamas |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/october-h8te-documentary-aims-to-understand-us-college-alignment-with-hamas/ |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=The Times of Israel}} The film also covers the role of social media in stoking antisemitism among young people.{{cite web |last=Cashman |first=Greer Fay |date=2024-11-07 |title='On October 8, American Jews woke up': New documentary 'October H8TE' explains what's at stake |url=https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/article-827902 |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=The Jerusalem Post}}
Personal life
Lessner resides in Los Angeles, California alongside her children.{{cite web|url=https://www.d-word.com/people/Inbal_Lessner|title=Inbal Lessner|website=The D Word|access-date=March 3, 2024}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|1441974}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lessner, Inbal B.}}
Category:Israeli documentary film directors