Biography

Jamie Kastner is a Toronto-based filmmaker and writer whose work has received international acclaim. His recently completed The Skyjacker's Tale is a critically acclaimed feature doc which premiered at TIFF'16, is broadcast on Netflix, Super Channel, Canal D and ZDF/Arte, distributed by Strand Releasing in the US and C7 INTL internationally. The Secret Disco Revolution premiered at TIFF'12 and played at festivals around the world. It was presold to Bravo!, ZDF/Arte, Canal D and Knowledge and is distributed by Entertainment One. Recessionize! For Fun And Profit!, a sell out hit at Hot Docs 2011 was made for TVO and has sold internationally to several countries including Holland, Belgium and Israel. Kike Like Me, Kastner's first feature-length documentary premiered as a Special Presentation at Hot Docs where it became the top-selling and most talked-about film of the festival. It screened and won awards at various international festivals including Audience Award at the Munich Dokfest. In addition to work through his company Cave 7 Productions, for Discovery he wrote and directed Strange Tales of the Flesh (Barna Alper) for which he also composed and performed satirical songs. He directed on the top-rated History TV/Global series Ancestors in the Attic (Primitive Entertainment), and co-wrote Comedy Gold (Insight Productions) a three-hour doc on the history of comedy for CBC. Before making full-length documentaries, Kastner hosted and produced kastnerkulture for three seasons on CBC-Newsworld's play, he also produced/directed on current affairs and cultural programs at CBC, TVO and MuchMusic including Undercurrents, Studio 2, Big Life with Daniel Richler and On The Arts with Laurie Brown. He was co-host/producer of Mr. Jones a live pop culture program on TVO and following family tradition, was associate producer on two black-comic CBC documentaries directed by his uncle John Kastner: Chickens are People Too and Somebody's Gotta Do It. Kastner's writing has appeared in The Guardian, Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, NOW, eye and Saturday Night magazines. He has also written and directed theatre.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jamie Kastner