Taron Lexton
| Taron Lexton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Taron Xavier Lexton June 29, 1984 Johannesburg, South Africa |
| 🏳️ Citizenship |
|
| 🏫 Education | Los Angeles Film School |
| 💼 Occupation |
|
| 📆 Years active | 2005–present |
| Twitter= | |
Taron Lexton (born June 29, 1984) is an American film director, producer, and cinematographer. His work has garnered numerous awards and aired globally on major networks such as Fox, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, MTV, and CNN.[1] In addition to films, Lexton has directed numerous public service announcements for humanitarian organizations, for which he was awarded the United Nations Award for Excellence. He has also directed numerous award-winning commercials, including three Super Bowl commercials. In 2004, he founded the production company TXL Films, located in Los Angeles, California.
Early Life
Lexton was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.[2] He is the son of Mary Shuttleworth, founder of Youth for Human Rights International.[3] Taron graduated from the Los Angeles Film School in 2004.[citation needed]
Career
After graduating from film school, Lexton founded the Los Angeles production company TXL Films in 2004.[citation needed]
Lexton’s directorial debut, released in 2005, was United, a short film about a young boy gathering support for his right to play basketball. Lexton also wrote the film, which stars Jenna Elfman, Erika Christensen, Catherine Bell, and Isaac Hayes. It was produced by TXL Films in association with Youth for Human Rights International,[4] includes footage from thirteen countries, and was released in 15 languages. United was first shown at the United Nations New York headquarters, and won Best Human Rights Film at the Taglia Corto Film Festival in Florence, which is co-organized by UNESCO.[5] Arnold Schwarzenegger was quoted during this period as saying: “Not only does Lexton have great talent in filmmaking but he is a great advocate and educator.”[citation needed] The film also won the California Independent Film Festival Slate Award for Best Music Video; the Moondance International Film Festival Spirit of Moondance Award; and the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film.[citation needed]
After United, Lexton directed a series of 30 public service announcements, raising awareness for the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, for which he earned the United Nations Writers Society Award for Excellence.[6] The public service announcements viewership reached hundreds of millions.[7]
Struck screened out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival;[8]
At the 2016 Aurora Awards, TXL Films was awarded Platinum Best of Show for four commercials; Individual Creative Achievement in Directing and Editing; Gold Award for two commercials; and Individual Creative Achievement in Cinematography and Art Direction.[9] Further commercial awards followed for TXL Films and Lexton at subsequent Aurora Awards and the Chicago International Film Festival Television Awards.[10][11]
2017 saw Lexton’s feature film debut, In Search of Fellini, starring Golden Globe nominee Maria Bello;[12] Ksenia Solo (Black Swan); and Mary Lynn Rajskub, perhaps best known for her role on the television series 24.[13] The film obtained an 89% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes[14] and garnered numerous awards, including the Ferrara Film Festival Best Feature USA, Best Director for Lexton, and Best Actress for Ksenia Solo;[15] along with the Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing.[16]
Lexton was also a producer on the film, which was written by Nancy Cartwright, most famous for voicing Bart Simpson on the animated series The Simpsons, and Peter Kjenaas. Starring Solo as a naïve and sheltered girl who sets off on a journey across Italy to find Italian film director Federico Fellini, the film is based on a young Cartwright’s own journey through Italy.[17]
Fellini premiered as the closing night film of the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.[18] It also screened at the Sonoma International Film Festival, the San Diego Film Festival, the USA Film Festival, the Newport Beach Film Festival, and the Bentonville Film Festival, and was distributed by Ambi Media Group.[19] The film was subsequently streamed on Netflix[20] and Amazon Prime Video.[21]
Also in 2017, Lexton directed the drama short Son to Son, on which he was an Executive Producer along with Nathan Lorch.[22] The film was produced by frequent Lexton collaborator Nick Lane, under Studio Lane, along with Milena Ferreira.[23] Son to Son stars Jim Meskimen and Lane. It shows a late-night meeting between a father and son involving a gradual revelation of a dark secret, and a confrontation about its consequences.[24] Indie Shorts Magazine stated: “Lexton deftly manages to retain your curiosity with unsuspecting plot twists. … The growing anxiety, the deceit, the unbelievable trajectory of self-destruction is so well incorporated and brought out by Lexton’s direction that it makes for a worthwhile watch.”[25] It screened at over 25 film festivals,[26] including the Oscar-qualifying[27] Los Angeles Shorts Film Festival,[28] and was a finalist at Le Petit Cannes, the festival running alongside the 71st Cannes Film Festival.[29] Son to Son has garnered eight awards, including Best Actor and Best Screenplay for Meskimen.[30]
In 2018, Lexton was an executive producer of three short films. The first, which he also produced, was Threshold, a thriller short[31] written and directed by Mark O’Brien,[32] the actor perhaps best known for his role in Arrival alongside Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner.[33] Threshold won Best Horror Short at the Great Lakes Film Festival.[34] The second was the horror short A Thing of Dreams, directed by K. Spencer Jones and Jake Wilkens and starring General Hospital’s Marcus Coloma[35] and Stephanie Scholz.[36] The third was Unregistered, with award-winning,[37] CAA-represented[38] director Sophia Banks; and Cinematographer Paul Cameron (Westworld, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales).[39][40] Unregistered, starring Trevor Jackson (ABC’s Grown-ish and American Crime)[41] and Dylan Penn, is a science-fiction film about population control.[42] It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival,[43] was screened at over 20 film festivals worldwide,[44] won Best Sci-Fi Short at the Atlanta Horror Film Festival,[45] and was picked up for development into a television series.[46]
In 2019, principal photography began on the feature film Nomad,[47] starring Leo Woodall and Sana’a Shaik. Lexton wrote and directed the film and is also one of the producers.[48] Nomad is about “a stifled city girl who discovers a mysterious nomad with a bizarre condition that rips them inexplicably across every corner of the earth”.[49] Production began in Chile, shooting with a backdrop of the total solar eclipse on July 2, 2019,[50] and filmed on seven continents in over 20 countries.[51]
The Nomad team captured the eclipse with an Arri Alexa LF. Later, the Alexa Mini LF was delivered to them in Africa and used for the remainder of the shoot. Nomad was one of the few productions to receive a pre-production model of this camera, along with the films 1917, which won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, and Dune (2021).[52] The film was shot in large format using ARRI Signature Prime lenses.[53] In early 2020, principal photography wrapped hours before international border closures began due to the global pandemic.[54] Nomad is scheduled for release in 2021.[55]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Credited As | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Producer | Exec Producer | Cinematographer | ||
| 2005 | United | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| 2008 | Struck | Yes | No | No | No |
| 2015 | The Squeeze | No | No | No | Yes |
| 2015 | Your Hands | No | No | No | Yes |
| 2015 | Lennon | No | No | No | Yes |
| 2017 | In Search of Fellini | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 2017 | Son to Son | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| 2018 | Threshold | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2018 | A Thing of Dreams | No | No | Yes | No |
| 2018 | Unregistered | No | No | Yes | No |
| 2021 | Nomad | Yes | Yes | No | No |
References
- ↑ "Sheena Chohan to feature in a Hollywood film". The Daily Star. 2019-07-14. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Taron Lexton - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "United Music Video" (PDF). United Music Video. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "United Music Video" (PDF). United Music Video. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "History, Global Movement, UNITED Music Video". Youth for Human Rights. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "America's Schools Program :: Youth for Human Rights". www.americas-schools.org. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Youth for Human Rights in South Africa". www.ungeformenneskerettigheter.no. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Dark Canadian co-production kicks off glamorous Cannes film fest". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Aurora Awards". www.auroraawards.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Aurora Awards". www.auroraawards.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Chicago Film Festival" (PDF). www.chicagofilmfestival.com. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Maria Bello". www.goldenglobes.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Ksenia Solo, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Maria Bello to Star in 'In Search of Fellini' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 2015-10-20. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ In Search of Fellini (2016), retrieved 2021-02-22
- ↑ In Search of Fellini - IMDb, retrieved 2021-02-22
- ↑ "MPSE Golden Reel Awards: 'Baby Driver,' 'Dunkirk' Among Sound Editors' Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. 2018-01-22. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ McNary, Dave; McNary, Dave (2017-04-21). "Nancy Cartwright's 'In Search of Fellini' Set for September Release (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Maria Bello to be Honored at L.A. Italia Fest". The Hollywood Reporter. 2017-02-07. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ McNary, Dave; McNary, Dave (2017-04-21). "Nancy Cartwright's 'In Search of Fellini' Set for September Release (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "'In Search of Fellini' On Netflix: Watch The Nostalgic Coming-Of-Age Adventure Now". Decider. 2018-03-20. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Fellini Amazon Prime". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Son to Son (2017) - IMDb, retrieved 2021-02-22
- ↑ "Son to Son - Cast | IMDbPro". pro.imdb.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ Review, UK Film (2018-08-15). "Son to Son short film". UK Film Review. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Short Film Review: 'Son to Son' Is About A Secret Waiting To Explode… - Indie Shorts Mag". Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Son to Son (2017)". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "LA Shorts International Film Festival". FilmFreeway. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ admin. "Son to Son at LA Shorts Film Fest". Bionic Buzz. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "30x30 BERLIN". FilmFreeway. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Jim Meskimen Receives Awards from Hollywood South Film Festival for Opioid Film, Son To Son - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ O'Brien, Mark, Threshold (Short, Thriller), Joris Jarsky, Talya Carroll, Jaidyn Carroll, TXL Films, United Pictures Group, retrieved 2021-02-22
- ↑ Threshold (2018) - IMDb, retrieved 2021-02-22
- ↑ Network, Real Style (2017-02-21). ""Arrival" Actor Mark O'Brien Talks Working With Amy Adams And More". Real Style Network. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ Threshold - IMDb, retrieved 2021-02-22
- ↑ "General Hospital Spoilers: Marcus Coloma On GH To Stay, Added To Opening Credits". Soap Opera Spy. 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ A Thing of Dreams (2018) - IMDb, retrieved 2021-02-22
- ↑ "Unregistered (Directed by Sophia Banks ) | NFF Official Selection". Norwich Film Festival. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Remember Priyanka's stylist Sophia Banks, she is now a Film Director". lifestyletodaynews.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ Unregistered (2018) - IMDb, retrieved 2021-02-22
- ↑ "Paul Cameron on Shooting Pirates of the Caribbean 5, Westworld". Collider. 2017-05-15. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Trevor Jackson as | grown-ish Cast". Freeform. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Unregistered (Directed by Sophia Banks ) | NFF Official Selection". Norwich Film Festival. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Unregistered | 2019 Tribeca Film Festival". Tribeca. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "'How Do You Become A Successful Female Director?' Interview with the CAA Represented Director of PROXY & UNREGISTERED Sophia Banks". www.thefilmfestivaldoctor.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ Unregistered - IMDb, retrieved 2021-02-22
- ↑ "Finch Signs Director Sophia Banks to its Roster". Branding in Asia Magazine. 2019-10-10. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Meet Taron Lexton | Filmmaker". SHOUTOUT LA. 2020-08-03. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ Nomad (2021) - IMDb, retrieved 2021-02-22
- ↑ Nomad (2021) - IMDb, retrieved 2021-02-22
- ↑ "PSN Chile Enable The Capture of Stunning Real Solar Eclipse Scenes For Taron Lexton's New Sci-fi Film 'Nomad'". SHOOTonline. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "A New Sci-Fi Movie Had 2 Minutes to Capture a Solar Eclipse, Here's What Happened". io9. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "ARRI ALEXA Mini LF camera ships and inspires cinematographers worldwide". www.arri.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Stunning solar eclipse captured in Chile with ARRI's ALEXA LF". www.arri.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ "Meet Taron Lexton | Filmmaker". SHOUTOUT LA. 2020-08-03. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ↑ Lexton, Taron, Nomad (Adventure, Drama, Romance), Sana'a Shaik, Abbey Hoes, Jordi Webber, Birol Tarkan Yildiz, TXL Films, retrieved 2021-02-22
External Links
- Taron Lexton on IMDb
- Taron Lexton Official Site
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