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Bio

Director's Bio

Leonardo Nussenzveig is a Brazilian-American filmmaker from Dallas, Texas, who has written and directed short films since high school and worked in the production of several independent films during college. Leonardo graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts with a major in Film and TV Production. He wrote and directed the short film Landscape during a study abroad program from NYU in Prague in collaboration with FAMU International. Forgoing a thesis film, he decided to make the jump into directing his first feature, The Doldrums. Self-funding and using resources he had acquired during his undergraduate studies, he assembled a crew that carried the film through each stage of production. During his time at NYU, he became interested in music and anthropology. This prompted him to pursue a master’s degree in Visual Anthropology at the University of Southern California, which combines documentary filmmaking with anthropological studies. 

Education

  • 2021-present: University of Southern California, Master of Arts in Visual Anthropology (documentary filmmaking and anthropological studies)

  • May 2019: Graduated New York University, Tisch School of the Arts,  BFA: Film and Television Production

  • Spring 2018: FAMU International – NYU Directing Semester, Prague, Czech Republic

  • 2017: Teaching Assistant in the TV Department at Tisch School of the Arts


Professional Experiences

  • 2021: Writer and Director of the feature film The Doldrums.  Currently submitting to film festivals

  • Writer, Director, and Editor of the short film Landscape – awarded Best Original Screenplay of Foreign Language Film by the South Europe International Film Festival (2019), nominated for 4 awards, and selected by 12 festivals in the United States and Europe

  • Intern in film development at Protozoa Pictures (Darren Aronofsky), New York: January –May, 2019

  • Intern in film development at Jean Doumanian Productions, New York: January - May, 2019 

  • Script reader for Manage-Ment (Dan Halsted), Los Angeles: June 2018 – May 2019

  • Intern in film development at Color Force (Nina Jacobson), Los Angeles: May - August, 2017

  • Photography published in the Hollywood Reporter: "Midnight Rave" ft. A$AP Rocky x Off White x B&O Play -Photographer and Videographer: August 2017  (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/inside-weeks-hollywood-parties-events-1030955/3-aap-rocky​)

  • Goodyear Racing Collection a Goodyear Footwear USA Facebook Advertisement – Videographer and Editor: 2016, Bucks County, PA

  • Hover-1 XLS Electric Bike a Hover-1 Facebook Advertisement – Director and Editor: 2016 New York, NY

  • The Bargain Parts 1-4 Web Series – Art City; Grip and Electric for Parts 1 & 2 Sound Mixer for Parts 3 & 4: 2016 New York, NY

  • Good Music by DJ Steven Powers – Red Leaf Films; Production Assistant and BTS Videographer: 2016 New York, NY

  • U Already Know ft. Josh Levi by Jordyn Jones – Red Leaf Films; Production Assistant: 2016 New York, NY

  • BLADEone Advert Starring Bo Ditel a BLADE Helicopter Company Advertisement – Red Leaf Film; Art Department: 2016 New York, NY

  • That’s Dope Halloween Party curated by Dope Roots -Photographer: 2016 New York, NY

  • Complex X Snapchat ft. DJ Rhetorik Launch Party for Complex Magazine on Snapchat Discovery -Photographer: 2016 New York, NY

  • Electric House ft. DJ TGUT NY Fashion Week After Party at Electric House -Photographer and Videographer: 2016 New York, NY

  • The Restaurant an Independent Feature Film – Red Leaf Films; Art Department: 2015 New York, NY


Independent Projects

  • Friend Party Program (FPP) - Live show on twitch.tv; Creator: 2017 New York, NY

  • Simmer – Gaffer: 2016 Winston- Salem, NC

  • The Run Through – Sound Engineer: 2016 Saratoga Springs, NY

  • Fire by Jenna Rose – Director of Photography: 2016 Los Angeles, CA

  • Tennessee – Colorist: 2016 New York, NY

  • Hiccup – Director of Photography: 2016 New York, NY & Woodridge, NJ

  • Pipe Dream by Kyle Duke and the Brown Bag Boys – Director of Photography: 2016 New York , NY

  • Dancing With Yourself by Danny G – Director of Photography: 2016 New York, NY

Finalist in the Photographer’s Forum Best of College & High School Photography 2014 contest sponsored by Nikon

Student Productions

  • Landscape - Writer and Director: 2018 Prague

  • Voiceland  Directed by Samuel Rinkacs - Director of Photography: 2018 Prague

  • New Flame Directed by Jin Rhim - Director of Photography: 2018 Prague

  • Guilty Pleasure Directed by Federico Panella - Grip and Electric: 2018 Prague

  • Tailor Directed by Mateo Obrador - First AC: 2018 Prague

  • A Day At the Beach Directed by Audrey S. Lin - First AC: 2018 Prague

  • Hrdinka Directed by Diego Ojinaga Llaca - Grip and Electric: 2018 Prague

  • Karla’s Song Directed by Mariano Flores - First AC: 2018 Prague

  • Dinner Time TV Boot camp – Gaffer: 2017 New York, NY

  • Like A Prayer Intermediate Narrative – Producer: 2017 New York, NY

  • Uninterrupted Short Commercial Form – Gaffer: 2017 New York, NY

  • Ice Cake Man Intermediate Narrative – Gaffer: 2017 New York, NY

  • Objects Advanced Narrative – Sound Mixer: 2017

  • Sacrilicious Intermediate Narrative – Director of Photography: 2017 New York, NY

  • Sleepwalker Intermediate Experimental – Director of Photography: 2017 New York, NY

  • The Girl With The  Intermediate Experimental – Line Producer: 2017 New York, NY

  • Afraid Sound Image Project – Producer & 2nd Engineer: 2016 New York, NY

  • No Blood  Intermediate Project – Grip: 2015 New York, NY

  • The King  Intermediate Project – Grip: 2015 New York, NY

  • A Kind of Happiness Intermediate Project – Grip: 2015 New York, NY

  • Unsettled Frame and Sequence – Director of Photography: 2015 New York, NY

  • The Intruder Frame and Sequence – Gaffer and Composer: 2015 New York, NY

  • Seventy-Two Frame and Sequence – Gaffer: 2015 New York, NY

  • Them Changes Frame and Sequence – Director of Photography: 2015 New York, NY


Skills

Proficient in Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, Microsoft Office, Toon Boom Harmony, Reaper, Pro Tools, and Logic.

Language skills: English (native), Portuguese, and understanding of Spanish.

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