Peggy Rajski is a renowned filmmaker, former Dean of the top-ranked School of Film & Television at Loyola Marymount University, and the founder of the groundbreaking nonprofit organization The Trevor Project.
Rajski's directorial debut, the short film Trevor, won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short in 1994. The film tells the poignant story of a young teenager whose life is turned upside down when his classmates learn that he might be gay. This experience led Rajski to establish The Trevor Project, the world's largest 24/7 suicide prevention service dedicated to LGBTQ+ young people.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored Rajski as a Live Action Icon in 2014, and she was recently recognized as a Pioneer of Queer Cinema in UCLA Archives' film series celebrating 30 landmark works documenting queer life. Trevor is part of the Museum of Modern Art's permanent film collection, and a musical adaptation of the film premiered Off-Broadway in November 2021 and was later acquired by Disney+.
Rajski's producing career began during the emergence of the Independent Film movement in the 1980s. She has produced numerous films, including three iconic films by writer/director John Sayles, and Stephen Frears' film noir classic The Grifters, which received four Academy Award nominations and won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature. Rajski also produced actor/director Jodie Foster's directorial debut Little Man Tate and her second film, Home for the Holidays.
Rajski is a respected guest speaker and workshop leader worldwide, focusing on creative producing and pitching. She is a member of the Directors Guild of America, Film Independent, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where she serves on the Producers' Branch Executive Committee and chairs the Student Academy Awards. Rajski has received numerous honors for her outstanding vision and achievement in the entertainment industry, including the Muse Award from New York Women in Film.
