Jason B. Kohl

Jason B. Kohl (born April 28, 1984) is an Austrian/American filmmaker from Michigan. His films have screened at the Berlinale, SXSW, Locarno, NYFF, BFI London and Tallinn Black Nights.

Jason B. Kohl
Born
Jason Burton Kohl

(1984-04-28) April 28, 1984
Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Alma materUCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
OccupationDirector, screenwriter, producer
Years active2013–present
Websitejasonbkohl.com

Early life

Kohl was born in Michigan to an Austrian father and an American mother, both of whom worked in agriculture. He studied English literature at Kalamazoo College, where he discovered filmmaking.[1] After moving to Germany on a Fulbright Scholarship, Kohl began working in the German film industry before he was accepted into the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, where he received his MFA in directing.[2]

Short films

Kohl's first short film, A Son Like You, starring Disney channel actor Jake Short, followed a young boy who accidentally meets his father's mistress. The film premiered at the 2012 Florida Film Festival.[3]

The following year Kohl's UCLA MFA Thesis Film The Slaughter premiered at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival, and went on to screen at the Locarno Festival,[4] BFI London Film Festival,[5] and become a finalist for the Student Academy Awards. The film, which stars Michael Shamus Wiles and Eli Bridges, follows a pig farmer who tests his unemployed son's resolve to join the family business.

The film, shot on Kohl's family pig farm in Lansing, Michigan, sparked a heated discussion for its portrayal of a humane slaughter of a pig.[6][7] Kohl was inspired to make the film from his experience working on the farm, which gave him concern over industrial agriculture. He wrote for No Film School that:

Food animals are now almost entirely raised on factory farms, which has had profound consequences for animal rights, human health and the environment.[8]

The film received praise from various critics. Scott Macaulay, writing for Filmmaker Magazine, called it "a masterfully directed story."[9] Katie Walsh, writing for The Playlist, said that the film was "able to pack more of an emotional punch in just 15 minutes than many studio feature films."[10] Jason Sondhi, writing for Short of the Week, said that "The film is excellently written. Subtle, and filled with details and plot points which are called back, it is a great showcase of Kohl's emerging talent."[11] Alex Garland wrote in the academic food journal Gastronomica that

While certainly a product of the spirit of the times, ardently willing new meanings onto food, the film remains a profound viewing experience that is nothing short of immersive in its depiction of the cessation of life intrinsic to eating.[12]

In 2014, Kohl's documentary short 80 to 90 ft premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival.[13] Set in Traverse City, Michigan, the film follows a pair of Native American fishermen whose business is threatened by climate change. It was later acquired by The Atlantic Magazine for distribution.[14]

His next documentary short, Lucid Dream, part of the Soundhunters multimedia project, screened at the 2015 SXSW Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and won the FIPA D'or at the Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels.[15][16] The film follows the electronic musician Daedelus as he creates a new piece of music from sounds he discovers in Berlin. The film was aired on Arte France in 2015.[17]

Feature films

In 2017, Kohl's first feature film, New Money, premiered at the 2017 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.[18] The film stars Louisa Krause and Emmy and Gotham Nominee Robin Weigert, and follows a young woman who kidnaps her estranged father after he cuts her out of his will.[19] The film was shot on location in Lansing, Michigan and Detroit, Michigan.[20]

The film was released on April 16, 2019 in the US by Gravitas Ventures,[21] followed by a theatrical release in Germany and Austria.[22][23] New Money received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for actress Louisa Krause's performance. Chuck Foster, in a 9/10 review for Film Threat, called New Money...

A smart, engaging thriller. Kohl has delivered a Coen brothers-type narrative with airtight precision. Louisa Krause clearly shines.[24]

Douglas Davidson, writing for Elements of Madness, praised the film as

A powder keg of emotion, beautifully shot, scored and performed.[25]

Vanessa Stewart from Mother of Movies, singled out the performances, writing that

The cast glow with perfectly-attuned performances... this is not a movie to be missed.[26]

David Duprey, writing for That Moment In, called the film

Well made and deeply authentic.[27]

Feature documentaries

Kohl has also completed two feature documentaries. The first, Eli, A Dog In Prison, is set in a prison outside Detroit. It follows three prisoners who raise a puppy to become a guide dog for the blind.[28][29]

The second, Recovery, follows an incest survivor and her remarkable recovery process.[30] The film was produced by Vice Media and Gebrueder Beetz, aired on the German television network NDR as Nicht Meine Schande: Geschichte Eines Missbrauchs in August 2020.[31]

Filmography

Short films
  • A Son Like You (2012)
  • The Slaughter (2013)

Short documentaries
  • 80 TO 90 FT (2014)
  • 3 Acres in Detroit (2014)
  • Lucid Dream (2015)

Feature documentaries
  • Recovery (2020)
  • Eli, A Dog In Prison (2021)

Feature films

References
  1. Kzoo Alum Shows His Award-Winning Film
  2. Alum’s film explores family relationships, food sources
  3. Imdb
  4. Locarno Filmmakers Academy
  5. Screen Daily
  6. Grist
  7. Vimeo Staff Picks
  8. No Film School
  9. Macaulay, Scott (Spring 2013). "Fest Circuit". Filmmaker Magazine. New York: IFP. Filmmaker Magazine
  10. The Playlist
  11. Short of the Week
  12. Gastronomica
  13. Imdb
  14. The Atlantic - Fishing in the Age of Climate Change
  15. Publik Art
  16. New York Film Festival - Soundhunters
  17. Arte - Soundhunters
  18. Variety
  19. Filmmaker Magazine
  20. Detroit Free Press
  21. Itunes
  22. Film Haus Vienna
  23. Il Kino Berlin
  24. Film Threat
  25. Elements of Madness
  26. Mother of Movies
  27. That Moment In
  28. San Francisco Film Society
  29. Screen Daily
  30. Mako Films
  31. NDR Website
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