Jeff Preiss

{{short description|American film director}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2013}}

Jeff Preiss is an American filmmaker, cinematographer, director and producer known for the documentaries Let's Get Lost (1988) and Broken Noses (1987).[https://web.archive.org/web/20121104103300/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/7220/Broken-Noses/details Broken Noses], New York Times

Career

In 1987 Preiss began working with Rosa von Praunheim and Bruce Weber as Director of Photography on a series of short films and features. This included the documentary features Dolly, Lotte and Maria, Broken Noses[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/04/movies/film-broken-noses-from-bruce-weber.html?scp=6&sq=jeff%20preiss&st=cse Broken Noses Review], New York Times 1987. and Let's Get Lost.[https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=950DE1DD133BF937A15750C0A96F948260&scp=2&sq=%22let's%20get%20lost%22&st=cse Let's Get Lost Review], NY Times 1989. The latter, which focused on the jazz legend Chet Baker, won the Venice Film Festival Critics Award[http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/10792081/year/2008.html Festival mentions for Let's Get Lost], 1989. and received an Academy Award nomination for best documentary.[http://movies.amctv.com/movie/29062/Lets-Get-Lost/awards Academy Award Nomination], amc movie guide.

Preiss collaborated for three years with Weber, then expanded his career to include directing television commercials and music videos (including music video clips for Iggy Pop, Malcolm McLaren, REM, B52s, and Mariah Carey;[http://beautifulmariahcarey.atspace.com/video.html Mariah Carey Videography] and commercials for Nike,[http://www.epochfilms.com/#/Directors/Jeff%20Preiss Director's Reel], Epoch Films. L.L. Bean,[http://www.adweek.com/aw/creative/best-spots/article_display.jsp?creativeId=274180 L.L. Bean "Journey"], AdWeek. and Monster.com.[http://www.adweek.com/aw/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2054555 Rise and Shine with Monster.com], AdWeek. Preiss directed an advertisement produced by Deutsch LA for Zillow, the real estate database company.{{cite web|url=http://www.geekwire.com/2015/zillow-tugs-at-heartstrings-in-new-ad-to-debut-during-oscars/|title=Zillow tugs at heartstrings in new ad, to debut during Oscars|author=Todd Bishop|work=GeekWire|date=February 20, 2015 |access-date=July 13, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.adweek.com/agencyspy/deutsch-la-brings-it-all-back-home-for-zillow/81342|title=Deutsch LA Brings It All Back Home for Zillow|work=Adweek|date=February 23, 2015 |access-date=July 13, 2015}}

In May 2005, Preiss co-founded Orchard,[http://orchard47.org Orchard Gallery Page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727152607/http://orchard47.org/ |date=July 27, 2011 }},. a co-operative experimental exhibition space, where he collaborated on a series of films with Andrea Fraser, Nicolás Guagnini, Christian Philipp Müller, Josiah McElheny, Moyra Davey and Anthony McCall. Works from this series have joined collections{{Cite web |url=http://www.aestheticmanagement.com/momental/preiss.html |title=Orchard Exhibition in Berlin |access-date=March 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707092117/http://www.aestheticmanagement.com/momental/preiss.html |archive-date=July 7, 2011 |url-status=dead }} including the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Preiss later became a founding partner of Epoch Media Group,[http://www.adweek.com/aw/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001393890 Adweek article on Jeff Preiss at Epoch Media Group] where he executive produced the motion picture Gigantic.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1176251/fullcredits#cast Gigantic Credits] In 2013 Epoch produced Low Down, a biopic based on the life of jazz pianist Joe Albany, along with producers Ron Yerxa, Albert Berger, and Burton Ritchie.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-xpm-2014-jan-21-la-et-mn-sundance-low-down-20140126-story.html|title='Low Down' just had to get made|work=Los Angeles Times|date=January 21, 2014 |access-date=July 13, 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1864405/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1|title=Low Down (2014)|author=westsideschl|date=January 27, 2015|work=IMDb|access-date=July 13, 2015}} It was released in 2014.

Preiss is now a board member at Light Industry, a venue for film and electronic art in Brooklyn, New York.[http://www.lightindustry.org/about Light Industry] He was also a board member of The Collective for Living Cinema.{{cite web|title=Epoch Films – Jeff Preiss|url=http://www.epochfilms.com/#/Directors/Jeff%20Preiss|publisher=Epoch Films|access-date=February 25, 2011}}

Personal life

Preiss is separated from his wife, the painter R. H. Quaytman. They have a son.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/08/garden/house-proud-built-just-as-the-sculptor-dreamed-it.html|title=New York Times, July 8, 2004 - HOUSE PROUD; Built Just as the Sculptor Dreamed It, by Claudia Steinberg|work=The New York Times |date=July 8, 2004 |last1=Steinberg |first1=Claudia }}{{cite web|url=http://www.artinamericamagazine.com/news-features/magazine/rh-quaytman/|title=R.H. Quaytman - Magazine - Art in America|work=Art in America|date=June 4, 2010 |accessdate=July 13, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/11/15/rh_quaytman_uses_op_art_to_tell_a_story_at_the_institute_of_contemporary_art/|title=R.H. Quaytman uses Op Art to tell a story at the Institute of Contemporary Art - The Boston Globe|work=The Boston Globe|accessdate=July 13, 2015}}

Preiss currently resides in New York.

References