Jean-Yves "JY" Pitoun, a multifaceted individual, was born in Pau, France, and spent his formative years in a working-class suburb south of Paris. His academic pursuits led him to graduate with a degree in economics from Science Po Paris, a law degree from the Sorbonne, and receive a Fulbright/CEE scholarship to attend UCLA film school.
Pitoun's professional journey began with working as an assistant director for the Washington Opera, followed by the successful sale of his first screenplay, "The Hot Touch," to 20th Century Fox, which was later directed by the renowned Roger Vadim. He went on to write screenplays and conduct rewrites for most of the major Hollywood studios, while also writing and directing films and television shows in France.
One of his notable collaborations was co-writing "To Kill a Priest" for Columbia Pictures, which was directed by Agnieszka Holland and starred Christopher Lambert and Ed Harris. Pitoun also wrote and directed the film "American Cuisine," featuring Eddie Mitchell, Jason Lee, and Irene Jacobs, and served as the show runner and director of the French television series "Un Flic Nommé Lecoeur," which garnered the highest ratings for French 2 TV that year.
He subsequently wrote and directed "Haute Pierre" for France 3 TV and co-wrote "Word of Honor" for TNT, based on the novel by Nelson DeMille. Pitoun created the medical series "Intervention" for TF1 and Gaumont television, starring Anthony Delon. His first novel, "Resistance Blues," is set to be published by Union Square publishing and is inspired by his father's experiences in the French resistance during World War II.
A devoted family man, Pitoun has two children and three grandchildren, and currently resides in Los Angeles.
