Jon Jost

Born in Chicago in 1943, of a military family, Jost grew up in Georgia, Kansas, Japan, Italy, Germany, and, Virginia.

Expelled from college in 1963, He began making 16mm films. He is self-taught. He has made some 20 shorts and 16 feature films, all of which he has conceived, written, photographed, directed, and edited.

In 1965 Jost was imprisoned by US Federal authorities for 2 years and 3 months for refusal to cooperate with the Selective Service System. On release, he quickly became engaged in political activities, helping start the Chicago branch of what became NEWSREEL, the New Left film production and distribution group, as well as working for the draft and the Chicago Mobilization.

For two years lived in a one-room Montana cabin, with no running water or electricity. During this period he made his first feature, Speaking Directly (1973).

Jost made his first feature-length film in 1974, and has since devoted to the making of a wide-ranging series of films, largely focused on specifically American topics, in form ranging from essays, to essay-fictions, to avant-garde and new narrative forms.

His work has shown widely in museums, film archives and festivals since 1975.

Was the first recipient (along with producer Ed Pressman) of the "John Casavettes Lifetime Achievement Award" at the 1991 Spirit Awards.

For years had hoped to adapt several short stories by Northwest author, Raymond Carver, before Robert Altman beat him to the rights and made Short Cuts (1993). When Jost learned that Altman had set the stories in urban Los Angeles, instead of the rural Northwest, he was furious, and has refused to see the film.

Currently teaches film at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. [October 2008]