Josh Litman
| Josh Litman | |
|---|---|
| File:Litman at HollyShorts 2023 (closeup).jpgLitman at HollyShorts 2023 (closeup).jpg Litman at HollyShorts 2023 | |
| Born | January 5, 1989 London, Ontario, Canada |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Canadian, American |
| 💼 Occupation | Writer, Director |
Josh Litman (born January 5, 1989) is a Canadian/American writer and director based in Los Angeles, California. His films regularly blend dark comedy with heartfelt drama, often incorporating psychological themes.[1][2]
Life and career
Born in London, Ontario, Canada, Litman has a diverse educational background with an MFA in Film and Television Production from USC's School of Cinematic Arts and a BA in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience from Western University.[3][4] He is the founder of Action Potential Productions, under which he has produced an extensive portfolio of over 40 films, plays, music videos, and two seasons of a web-based TV series.[5] He also co-hosts the long-running podcast Adulthood Friends alongside Aya Ishai.[6]
In 2017, Litman co-wrote Actors Anonymous, the feature film adaptation of James Franco's novel of the same name (Actors Anonymous), starring James Franco, Eric Roberts, Emma Rigby, Scott Haze, Carmen Argenziano, and Horatio Sanz.[7] The film, which was produced by Rabbit Bandini Productions in conjunction with USC,[8] screened at Cinequest[9] and the Newport Beach Film Festival.[10]
Active Shooter, a 2017 dramatic short film co-produced and co-written by Litman alongside Jacob J. Tanenbaum, garnered widespread attention after going viral on YouTube with over 12 million views.[11] The film, about a father who suspects his son is the shooter on the day of a school shooting, made its premiere at the 2018 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea[12][13] and won the Social Awareness Award at the 2018 Silver State Film Festival.
Litman also wrote and produced 2017’s Point and Dream about a little girl who believes she has the power to solve homelessness.[14] Directed by Lost in the Stars filmmaker Rui Cui and produced in partnership with Alibaba Pictures, the Pasadena Community Foundation, and the nonprofit Union Station Homeless Services, the film sought to cast a spotlight on the homelessness crisis, winning the Silver Prize at the Big Heart Small Film competition.[15]
In 2018, Litman's USC thesis film, Last Dance, a darkly comedic neo-noir revenge thriller, screened at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival.[16]
In 2020, Litman directed the official music video for Grammy-nominated pianist/singer-songwriter Nomi Abadi's single, Animals.[17]
The following year, Litman's feature anthology film, The Cluster B Quadrilogy, screened at the Forest City Film Festival.[18][19][20] It subsequently released on Tubi,[21] Plex,[22] Amazon Prime Video[23], and other streaming platforms.[24]
In 2023, Litman's Super 16mm short film, Therapists, screened at the LA Shorts International Film Festival,[25] HollyShorts Film Festival,[26] and Forest City Film Festival.[27]
Screenplay selections and awards
Litman's screenwriting has been acknowledged in several prestigious script competitions. His feature script, Impaled: A Love Story, was a semi-finalist at the 2021 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting,[28] 2021 Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest,[29] and a finalist at the 2021 Script Pipeline Screenwriting Competition.[30][31]
His feature script, The Triangular Theory of Love, was a semi-finalist at the 2022 Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest.[32] His feature scripts, Active Shooter (co-written with Jacob J. Tanenbaum) and Blink, were both second-rounders at the 2023 Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition.[33] Active Shooter was also a quarter-finalist at the 2021 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting.[28]
Other media
In 2019, Litman published his first book of poetry, Exploding Glass Staircase.[34]
Litman maintains an active YouTube channel under the banner of Action Potential Productions with over 85,000 subscribers and millions of views, engaging a wide audience with his creative content.[35]
Filmography
Feature films
| Year | Title | Writer | Director | Producer | Note | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Actors Anonymous | Yes | No | No | co-written; directed by Juel Taylor and 11 others | |
| 2021 | The Cluster B Quadrilogy | Yes | Yes | Yes | 4-film anthology (Psychopath for a Day, Borderline Bill, Attention Whore, & Nick the Narcissist) |
Short films
| Year | Title | Writer | Director | Producer | Note | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Death by Hot Wings | Yes | Yes | Yes | [36][37][38] | |
| Elevator | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| 2012 | Balls Deep | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Isaac's Shoes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Sweet Girls | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Red Light | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| The Life of Coco Chanel | No | Yes | Yes | |||
| Genovese | No | No | Yes | |||
| All Alone_Together | No | No | Yes | |||
| 2013 | The Cookie Monster | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| Psychopath for a Day | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3+ million views on YouTube | ||
| Three Point Convergence | Yes | Yes | Yes | co-written/co-directed | ||
| Edgar | No | No | Yes | |||
| 2014 | Breaking Up With Celia | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| The Suit | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| A Case of Pyrophilia | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| The Birthday Girl | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| After Rachel | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| 2015 | Milk and Ammonia | Yes | No | No | directed by Randolph Zaini | |
| Beijing Blues | Yes | Yes | Yes | co-written/co-directed with Rui Cui | ||
| Father Knows Best | Yes | No | No | directed by Rui Cui | ||
| The Socratic Irony | No | Yes | Yes | co-directed | ||
| Out | No | No | Yes | |||
| 2016 | Beef Jelly | Yes | Yes | Yes | co-written/co-directed | |
| 2017 | Active Shooter | Yes (Story) | No | Yes | co-written (story); 12+ million views on YouTube | |
| The Priest, the Whore, and the Man at the Door | Yes | Yes | Yes | 100,000+ views on YouTube | ||
| Last Dance | Yes | Yes | No | USC thesis film | ||
| Free Choice | Yes | No | No | directed by Rui Cui | ||
| Point and Dream | Yes | No | Yes | directed by Rui Cui | ||
| 2018 | Nick the Narcissist | Yes | Yes | Yes | 400,000+ views on YouTube | |
| Borderline Bill | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| 2019 | Attention Whore | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Andy Asperger | No | Yes | Yes | |||
| 2020 | The Sound of a Painting | Yes | Yes | Yes | co-written/co-directed | |
| 2022 | Therapists | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| TBD | F Minor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Swing of Your Kiss | Tam Duong | [36][37][39] |
| 2020 | Animals | Nomi Abadi |
References
- ↑ Insights, Stories & (2023-08-03). "Meet Josh Litman". CanvasRebel Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
- ↑ "Artist Snapshot: Josh Litman". Pipeline Artists. 2021-09-02. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- ↑ London Under 30 - Josh Litman, retrieved 2024-02-27
- ↑ Trojan Vision's Showcase (2012) - Josh Litman and Gus Bendinelli, retrieved 2024-02-27
- ↑ "About". Action Potential Productions. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
- ↑ "Adulthood Friends". Spotify. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
- ↑ Actors Anonymous (2017), retrieved 2024-02-23
- ↑ Staff, Crossfader (2017-04-30). "Newport Beach Film Festival 2017 Coverage". Crossfader. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ↑ "Press". Action Potential Productions. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
- ↑ Staff, Crossfader (2017-04-30). "Newport Beach Film Festival 2017 Coverage". Crossfader. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
- ↑ Active Shooter | Award-Winning Short Film, retrieved 2024-02-25
- ↑ Barkan, Jonathan (2018-06-07). "BIFAN 2018: Full Slate of Nearly 300+ Films Announced!". Dread Central. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
- ↑ "Active Shooter Short Film – Award Winning 14 Mins - Epic Heroes Entertainment Movies Toys TV Video Games News Art". Epic Heroes Entertainment Movies Toys TV Video Games News Art. 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ↑ [email protected] (2018-06-30). "Gravitas in Film: Rui Cui". Medium. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ↑ armando (2017-11-07). "Big Heart Small Films | Pasadena Community Foundation". pasadenacf.org. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ↑ "HollyShorts - Last Dance Cast Interview". Retrieved 2024-02-23.
- ↑ "Nomi Abadi – 'Animals' (Music Video) – Synthtopia". 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
- ↑ Festival, Forest City Film (2021-08-26). "The Cluster B Quadrilogy". Forest City Film Festival. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ↑ staff, XFM News. "Filmmakers flock to Forest City Film Festival". 106.9 The X. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
- ↑ Festival, Forest City Film (2021-09-29). "Happy Accidents in Film". Forest City Film Festival. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
- ↑ The Cluster B Quadrilogy (2020), retrieved 2024-02-25
- ↑ The Cluster B Quadrilogy, retrieved 2024-02-27
- ↑ "Watch The Cluster B Quadrilogy | Prime Video". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ↑ Roku. "Roku". Roku. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ↑ "JULY 30 Program 53". LA Shorts. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
- ↑ Bain, Kyle (2023-09-02). "Therapists (2022)". Bain's Film Reviews. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
- ↑ "Therapists". Forest City Film Festival. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 "2021 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". www.oscars.org. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
- ↑ "Previous Years". Final Draft®. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
- ↑ Pipeline, Script. "2021 Screenwriting Contest Results – Script Pipeline". Retrieved 2024-02-23.
- ↑ "Impaled: A Love Story by Josh Litman - Coverfly". writers.coverfly.com. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
- ↑ "Previous Years". Final Draft®. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ↑ Broughton, Travis (2023-09-29). "AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2023 SCRIPT COMPETITIONS SEMIFINALISTS & SECOND ROUNDERS". Austin Film Festival. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
- ↑ Litman, Josh (2019-11-20). Exploding Glass Staircase. Nathania Zaini. Independently published. ISBN 978-1-7097-3644-5. Search this book on
- ↑ "Action Potential Productions - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 "Action Potential Productions". Action Potential Productions. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 "Portfolio List (05.07.2023).pdf" (PDF). Dropbox. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
- ↑ "Short Films - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ↑ "Nomi Abadi – 'Animals' (Music Video) – Synthtopia". 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
External links
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