Josh Safdie

Last updated

Josh Safdie
Josh Safdie (2010).png
Josh being interviewed at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival
Born
Joshua Henry Safdie
(1984-04-03) April 3, 1984 (age 41)

New York City, U.S.
Alma mater Boston University
Occupations
  • Film director
  • producer
  • screenwriter
  • editor
Years active2007–present
Children1 [1]
Relatives
Awards Full list
Website elara.world

Joshua Henry Safdie [2] (born April 3, 1984) [3] is an American filmmaker. He is best known for writing and directing the crime thriller films Good Time (2017) and Uncut Gems (2019) with his younger brother Benny Safdie as the Safdie Brothers.

Contents

In 2024, it was reported that he and his brother would no longer be directing together and would pursue solo careers. [4] His solo directorial debut, Marty Supreme , is slated to be released on December 25, 2025.

Early life and education

Safdie was born in New York City to Amy and Alberto Safdie. [5] He and brother Benny divided their childhood living between their father in Queens and their mother and stepfather in Manhattan after their parents' divorce. [5]

He attended Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School [5] and graduated from the Boston University College of Communication in 2007.

Career

Filmmaker

The Safdies' first feature was the 2009 film Daddy Longlegs , which they also wrote the screenplay for and edited together. [6] The film was showcased in the Directors' Fortnight at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. [7] In 2013, they debuted the documentary film Lenny Cooke at the Tribeca Film Festival, [8] a documentary they became attached to after Cooke approached them to review the footage. [9] In 2014, the pair premiered their next film Heaven Knows What at the 71st Venice International Film Festival. [10] In February 2016, the brothers began filming their crime thriller film Good Time . It premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. [11]

Uncut Gems , Josh and Benny's next film, starred Adam Sandler, Lakeith Stanfield and Julia Fox and was executive produced by Martin Scorsese. [12] The brothers won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director, and Benny shared the Independent Spirit Award for Best Editing with Ronald Bronstein, with whom he co-edited all the Safdie brother films. [13]

Solo career

In early 2024, it was reported that Josh and Benny would no longer be directing films together and would pursue solo careers. Benny described the split as amicable, calling it a "natural progression of what we each want to explore." [4]

Josh's first feature as a solo director is Marty Supreme , loosely based on Marty Reisman, a hustler-turned-champion table tennis player. It stars Timothee Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow, [14] [15] and is set to be released by A24 on December 25, 2025. [16] His frequent collaborator Ronald Bronstein both co-wrote and edited the film, while Darius Khondji was the cinematographer and Jack Fisk was the production designer. [17] The film's $70 million budget makes it A24's most expensive film. [18]

Personal life

Safdie is Jewish. His father was born in Italy, raised in France, and is of Sephardic-Jewish and Syrian-Jewish descent. [5] [19] [20] [21] His mother is of Russian-Jewish descent. [22] His great uncle is architect Moshe Safdie. His cousin once removed is playwright Oren Safdie. [23]

He is a fan of the New York Knicks. [24] Basketball is prominently featured in Lenny Cooke and Uncut Gems.

Filmography

Feature films

Key
†Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released
YearTitle Director Writer Editor Collaboration with BennyCollaboration with BronsteinNotes
2008 The Pleasure of Being Robbed YesYesYesYesNoAlso actor, producer
2009 Daddy Longlegs YesYesYesYesYes
2013 Lenny Cooke YesNoNoYesNo
2014 Heaven Knows What YesYesNoYesYes
2017 Good Time YesYesNoYesYes
2019 Uncut Gems YesYesNoYesYes
2022 Funny Pages NoNoNoYesYesAlso producer
2025 Marty Supreme †YesYesNoNoYesAlso producer

Television

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes
2023 The Curse NoNoExecutiveMiniseries
Telemarketers NoNoExecutiveTV series
Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God NoNoExecutiveDocumentary mini-series
2024 Ren Faire NoNoExecutiveDocumentary mini-series
Adam Sandler: Love You YesNoYes Netflix comedy special

As Actor

YearTitleRoleNotes
2006We're Going to the ZooThe HitchhikerShort film
The Ralph Handel StoryThe Director (voice)Short film
2007The Back of Her HeadHimShort film
2008 The Pleasure of Being Robbed Josh
Yeast Riverguy 1
2009 Taking Woodstock Documentary CameramanUncredited
Daddy Longlegs Chris
La corsaAlessandroShort film
2013Lydia Hoffman Lydia HoffmanBruceShort film
HellawareGallery Patron
Stand Clear of the Closing Doors Fighter
2015 This Summer Feeling Thomas
2016 Togetherness Craddock Brother #1Episode: "Advanced Pretend"
My ArtTom
2017Ezer KenegdoLevi

Awards and nominations

References

  1. ↑ Safdie Brothers LAST APPEARANCE TOGETHER for Daddy Longlegs Q&A Nov 30th 2022 Film Forum NYC. Archived from the original on July 2, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  2. ↑ Ross, Alex Robert (July 23, 2019). "The Weeknd will appear alongside Adam Sandler in crime thriller Uncut Gems". The Fader . Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Josh Safdie". AlloCiné . Archived from the original on May 3, 2008. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  4. 1 2 Shanfeld, Ethan (January 4, 2024). "Benny Breaks Out: The Safdie Brother on Going Solo, Making You Squirm With 'The Curse' and What He Learned From Christopher Nolan and PTA". Variety. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Sanneh, Kelefa (December 16, 2019). "The Safdie Brothers' Full-Immersion Filmmaking". The New Yorker . Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  6. ↑ Macaulay, Scott (January 28, 2010). "Daddy Longlegs Josh and Benny Safdie". Filmmaker Magazine . Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Quinzaine 2009". quinzaine-realisateurs.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  8. ↑ Kemmerle, Karen (April 15, 2013). "'Lenny Cooke' Directors Josh and Benny Safdie Explore What Happened to the American Dream". Tribeca Film Festival . Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  9. ↑ Harris, Brandon (December 6, 2013). "Hoop Dreams: Josh and Benny Safdie on Lenny Cooke". Filmmaker . Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  10. ↑ Foundas, Scott (August 28, 2014). "'Heaven Knows What' Review: The Safdies Take a Step Forward". Variety . Archived from the original on August 30, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  11. ↑ "The 2017 Official Selection". Cannes. April 13, 2017. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  12. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (September 28, 2018). "Safdie Brothers' 'Uncut Gems' Scores Financing From RT Features & Scorsese's Sikelia – Cannes". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on May 17, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  13. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Blyth, Antonia (February 8, 2020). "Independent Spirit Awards Redresses Female Balance With Wins For Lulu Wang, Olivia Wilde & Julia Reichert – Complete Winners List". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on February 9, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  14. ↑ Grobar, Matt (August 28, 2024). "Gwyneth Paltrow To Star Opposite Timothée Chalamet In A24's 'Marty Supreme'". Deadline. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  15. ↑ Shanfeld, Ethan (July 15, 2024). "Timothée Chalamet to Star in Josh Safdie, A24 Movie About Ping Pong Pro (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  16. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 20, 2024). "Timothée Chalamet Movie 'Marty Supreme' Set For Christmas Day 2025". Deadline. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  17. ↑ Marty Supreme (2025) - Full cast & crew - IMDb . Retrieved May 2, 2025– via www.imdb.com.
  18. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (November 5, 2024). "A24's Timothée Chalamet Ping-Pong Movie 'Marty Supreme' Will Be Its Joint-Biggest To Date & The Biggest-Budget New Project At AFM". Deadline. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  19. ↑ Robinson, George (August 17, 2010). "Being The Safdie Brothers". The Jewish Week . Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  20. ↑ Barshad, Amos (August 21, 2017). "The Safdie Brothers Are Classic New York Hustlers". The Fader . Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  21. ↑ Pfefferman, Naomi (June 17, 2015). "Life as lived by a homeless junkie". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles . Archived from the original on May 6, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  22. ↑ Vance, Kelly (December 25, 2019). "Hoops Hoopla + Precious Stones = Mayhem". East Bay Express . Archived from the original on December 26, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  23. ↑ Foley, Euan (June 29, 2020). "A Brief History of the Safdie Brothers". Port Magazine. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  24. ↑ Kassel, Matthew (December 6, 2013). "Watching the Knicks With the Safdie Brothers". observer.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
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