Azazel Jacobs | |
|---|---|
 Jacobs in 2017 | |
| Born | September 27, 1972 |
| Alma mater | State University of New York at Purchase AFI Conservatory |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Relatives | Ken Jacobs (father) |
Azazel Jacobs (born September 27, 1972) [1] is an American film director and screenwriter. His feature films include The GoodTimesKid (2005), Terri (2011), The Lovers (2017), French Exit (2020), and His Three Daughters (2023).
Jacobs grew up in a Jewish family in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan. [2] He is the son of experimental filmmaker Ken Jacobs. [3] [4] He attended Bayard Rustin High School. [5] He received a bachelor's degree in film from SUNY Purchase and a master's degree from the AFI Conservatory. [6] [7] As of 2011 [update] , Jacobs lives in Los Angeles. [5]
His feature The Goodtimeskid (2005), a micro-budget film, gained a cult following and was later re-released by KINO International. Jacobs' film Momma’s Man premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2008. [8] Upon its release by KINO International, The New York Times declared the film to be "Independent Film defined." [9] In 2011, Jacobs film Terri starring John C. Reilly, was written by Patrick deWitt, premiered in competition at Sundance and in competition internationally at Locarno & the BFI London Film Festival’s "Film On The Square." [5]
During 2014 and 2015, Jacobs directed the two seasons of the SKY/HBO show, Doll & Em . He also worked as a writer and producer. In 2017, Jacobs wrote and directed the film The Lovers which was released by A24 to top specialty box office. [10] The film starred Debra Winger, Tracy Letts, Melora Walters, and Aidan Gillen. Jacobs’ screenplay for The Lovers was nominated for a 2017 Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay. Jacobs produced the pilot of Cherries, written/directed by Diaz Jacobs, which premiered in the episodic section of Sundance 2018. [11]
In 2020, Jacobs’ film French Exit had its world premiere as the closing night film for the New York Film Festival. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Patrick deWitt and stars Michelle Pfeiffer alongside Lucas Hedges, Tracy Letts, Imogen Poots, Danielle McDonald, Isaach de Bankole, Valerie Mahaffey, Susan Coyne and Daniel Di Tomasso. Pfeiffer plays Francis Price, which Variety called "a role for which she'll be remembered." [12] It was nominated for multiple awards, [13] including a 2021 Golden Globe, [14] and won Best Actress from the Canadian Screen Awards. [15] The film was released theatrically by Sony Pictures Classics on February 12, 2021, and internationally by Sony Pictures Worldwide on March 18, 2021. French Exit was selected for the 71st Berlin Film Festival in Berlinale Special Gala, having its European premier on June 12, 2021. [16]
Azazel Jacobs latest film, His Three Daughters, had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival where it was purchased by Netflix in a world wide deal for a 2024 release. The film — which he wrote, directed, edited, and produced — stars Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen and Carrie Coon in performances that have been widely hailed as amongst their best.
Azazel Jacobs appeared on Marc Maron's podcast, WTF with Marc Maron , on March 29, 2021, speaking about art films, The Clash, Mad magazine, and his movies Terri, The Lovers and French Exit. Jacobs directed two episodes of the Facebook series Sorry For Your Loss starring Elizabeth Olsen, and three episodes of Amazon's Mozart in the Jungle , for which he was a consulting producer in its final season. [17]
On April 19, 2024, an official remake of The Lovers, “Do Aur Do Pyaar”, told from a different perspective and different culture, was released in theaters across India. This production also marks the first remake of an A24 film.
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Kirk and Kerry | Yes | No | No | Short film | |
| 1999 | Danger 44 | Yes | No | No | Short film | |
| 2000 | Dear Mexico | Yes | No | No | Short film | |
| 2002 | Message Machine | Yes | No | No | Short film | |
| 2003 | Oh Wee! | Yes | No | No | Short film | |
| 2003 | Nobody Needs to Know | Yes | Yes | Yes | Feature film debut | [18] |
| 2005 | The GoodTimesKid | Yes | Yes | No | [19] | |
| 2008 | Momma's Man | Yes | Yes | No | [20] | |
| 2011 | Terri | Yes | Yes | No | [21] | |
| 2017 | The Lovers | Yes | Yes | No | [22] | |
| 2020 | French Exit | Yes | No | Executive | [23] | |
| 2023 | His Three Daughters | Yes | Yes | Yes | [24] |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Network | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–2015 | Doll & Em | Yes | Yes | Co-Producer | Sky Atlantic / HBO | 12 episodes | [25] |
| 2016–2018 | Mozart in the Jungle | Yes | No | Consulting | Amazon Prime Video | 3 episodes | [26] |
| 2018–2019 | Sorry for Your Loss | Yes | No | No | Facebook Watch | 2 episodes | [27] |
| 2025 | The Better Sister | Yes | No | No | Amazon Prime Video | 1 episode | [28] |
In 2012, CinemaScope magazine cited Azazel as one of the 50 Best Directors Under 50. [29]
Azazel Jacobs was invited to join The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on June 26th, 2025. [30]
Azazel visited the Criterion Collection on November 6th, 2024. He selected The Exterminating Angel (Luis Buñuel), Hobson’s Choice (David Lean), La vie de Bohème (Aki Kaurismäki), La Ciénaga (Lucrecia Martel), Girlfriends (Claudia Weill), Tōtem (Lila Avilés), Miracle in Milan (Vittorio De Sica), The Breakfast Club (John Hughes), and Pandora’s Box (G.W. Pabst). [31]
Azazel was honored with the 2025 SUNY Purchase Alumni Association Honoree for Outstanding Commitment to the Arts, in recognition of his contributions to film and the creative arts community. [32]
| Year | Association | Category | Project | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Slamdance Film Festival | Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Short | Kirk and Kerry | Won | [33] |
| 2008 | Off Plus Camera | Kraków Film Award | Momma's Man | Won | [34] |
| Torino Film Festival | Best Feature Film Prize | Nominated | |||
| Deauville Film Festival | Grand Special Prize | Nominated | [35] | ||
| IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival | FIPRESCI Award | Won | [36] | ||
| Distribution Award | Won | [37] | |||
| Viennale | Reader Jury of the "Standard" | Won | [38] | ||
| 2009 | CPH PIX | Politiken's Audience Award | Nominated | [39] | |
| 2011 | Deauville Film Festival | Grand Special Prize | Terri | Nominated | [40] |
| Gijón International Film Festival | FIPRESCI Award | Won | [41] | ||
| Locarno Film Festival | Junior Jury Award | 3rd Place | [42] | ||
| Sundance Film Festival | Grand Jury Prize | Nominated | [43] | ||
| Sarasota Film Festival | Narrative Feature Jury Prize | Nominated | [44] | ||
| 2017 | Film Independent Spirit Awards | Best Screenplay | The Lovers | Nominated | [45] |
| London Film Festival | Official Competition | Nominated | |||
| 2024 | Gotham Awards | Best Screenplay | His Three Daughters | Won | [46] |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | [47] | ||
| Best Ensemble Acting | Won | [48] | |||
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards | Sierra Award, Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | [49] | ||
| National Board of Review | NBR Award Top Ten Independent Films | Won | [50] | ||
| Online Association of Female Film Critics | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | [51] | ||
| Rosie Award | Nominated | [52] | |||
| San Francisco Film Awards | Honors Award | Won | [53] | ||
| Seattle Film Critics Society | SFCS Award for Best Ensemble | Nominated | [54] | ||
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | SLFCA Award Special Merit (for best scene, cinematic technique or other memorable aspect or moment), Dad's chair | Nominated | [55] | ||
| VHS Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | |||
| Best Ensemble Cast | 2nd Place | ||||
| 2025 | AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | Best Intergenerational Film | Nominated | [56] | |
| Best Ensemble | Nominated | [57] | |||
| Chlotrudis Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | [58] | ||
| Best Movie | Nominated | [59] | |||
| Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast | Won | [60] | |||
| Columbus Film Critics Association | Best Overlooked Film | Nominated | [61] | ||
| Film Independent Spirit Awards | Robert Altman Award | Won | [62] | ||
| Utah Film Critics Association Awards | Best Screenplay | Won | [63] | ||
| Best Ensemble Cast | 2nd Place | [64] | |||
