Film Courage: Jesse, how did you convince your parents that making a movie was better than going to college?
Jesse Harris, Filmmaker: Well, it took a lot of convincing for sure. I think that my whole life I was just always doing my own thing, making films from an early age and I was never one that I liked learning in a classroom setting. I knew that I was probably going to do it, they probably knew that I was going to do it either way with or without their help and so they could get behind and try to help me with this or I would just be going off and doing it either way. I think they knew I was self-driven and had that in me and that’s just what I thought was best for me to learn how to expand my career.
I had to put together a budget and proposal and explain to them how to do this and that I would hire actual adult filmmakers and it would be an actual learning experience, it would basically be my film school, just a totally different version of it. Once they saw it coming together they realized it was a pretty amazing thing to have pulled off. The fact that it ended up getting a small distributor and had this release, I think that it was a once in a lifetime kind of experience. So much came from it both for me personally and professionally.
I don’t necessarily think that’s what everyone should do, but for me it was the right thing and it worked out I think.
Film Courage: Were your parents teachers?
Jesse: No, my dad was a carpenter, my mom was a small business consultant. None of them had any connection to film or creativity or anything like that.
Film Courage: When it was all said and done how much did it cost to make that movie?
Jesse: My first feature I think cost about sixty thousand dollars. I tried to figure out how can I make this with the smallest amount of money possible but still make it look and feel like a real movie? Then how much could I raise? How I funded it was I got friends and family to give money, kind of the Kickstarter model, but this was in 2003-2004, before that existed…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
BIO:
Jesse Harris started his filmmaking career early, writing and directing his first feature when he was 17. He opted against college and used the money to fund his feature that he wrote and directed, which was eventually picked up for US theatrical distribution and by HBO Europe. In 2007, to support other young filmmakers, Jesse founded NFFTY (National Film Festival for Talented Youth), which has grown into the largest and most prestigious youth film festival in the world. Jesse put his filmmaking career on hold for several years to support other young directors and build a premier showcase for aspiring directors. Variety named Jesse one of 25 talents who transformed youth entertainment and was named one of City Arts Magazine’s Top 50 Culture Makers. His feature was shortlisted for the 2004 Independent Spirit Awards ‘Someone to Watch’ Award and was one of 20 features invited to the 2004 IFP New York Film Market. Jesse’s recently been named a Global Shaper, an initiative of the World Economic Forum, built around young entrepreneurs and do-gooders. Jesse returned to filmmaking in the commercial world, now bringing years of experience crafting beautiful stories for brands. His commercial work has been seen on TV around the world, working with clients such as Volvo, Microsoft, Disney and more. His 2018 short film, Wind in the Night was one of seven films selected for the 2019 Prix SNCF du Polar in France and picked up for distribution in France, Asia, UK and USA. The film was a proof of concept for his next feature, Borrego (available January 14, 2022).
CONNECT WITH JESSE HARRIS
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