Jon Reiss is a critically acclaimed filmmaker, author, and media strategist who has produced and directed four feature films, including the recent sequel to his acclaimed documentary Bomb It, about graffiti and the battle for visual public space worldwide.
As a pioneer in film distribution, Reiss wrote the first step-by-step guide for filmmakers, Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution in the Digital Era, after successfully releasing Bomb It with a hybrid strategy.
Throughout his career, Reiss has worked with numerous filmmakers, companies, and organizations, including Paramount Pictures, Screen Australia, Film Independent, Creative Scotland, and the South Australian Film Corporation, to help them distribute and market their films in the digital landscape.
Reiss has also contributed to various publications, such as Filmmaker Magazine, Huffington Post, Indiewire, Screen Daily, and Moviemaker Magazine, and co-wrote the book Selling Your Film Without Selling Your Soul.
Prior to Bomb It, Reiss produced and directed the documentary feature film Better Living Through Circuitry, which premiered at festivals like RESfest, Rotterdam, and Sao Paulo, and was later released theatrically in the United States and on Showtime.
Reiss' first film, Cleopatra's Second Husband, is a dark psychological drama that won Best First Feature at Cinequest before being released theatrically in the United States and on IFC.
As an award-winning music video director, Reiss has worked with artists like Nine Inch Nails, The Black Crowes, Danzig, Slayer, and the Kottonmouth Kings, and his "Happiness in Slavery" video for Nine Inch Nails received awards at the Chicago and San Francisco film festivals.
Reiss received his MFA from the UCLA Film School and teaches in the Film Directing Program at the California Institute for the Arts. He also guest lectures at universities worldwide, including UCLA, USC, NYU, and Tisch Singapore.
Reiss got his start in filmmaking and distribution at the San Francisco documentary collective Target Video, where he shot seminal bands like Black Flag, Iggy Pop, and Throbbing Gristle, and conceptualized and executed video tours throughout Europe, carting 500 lbs of video equipment in a VW Bus across 15,000 miles.
