{{short description|American film director}} {{EngvarB|date=December 2013}} {{Infobox person | name = Jake Yuzna | image = Jake-Yuzna---Teddy-Award.jpg | caption = Yuzna receiving the Teddy Jury Prize in 2010 | birth_place = Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | occupation = Film director, screenwriter | years_active = 2004-present }} '''Jake Yuzna''' is an American film director, screenwriter, and curator. Their debut feature Open was the first American film to win the Teddy Jury Prize<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bombmagazine.org/article/6236/open-with-jake-yuzna|title=BOMB Magazine — OPEN with Jake Yuzna by Legacy Russell|website=bombmagazine.org|language=en|access-date=2017-08-15|archive-date=2017-03-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321120601/http://bombmagazine.org/article/6236/open-with-jake-yuzna|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indiewire.com/2010/07/outfest-4-in-focus-open-director-jake-yuzna-on-his-queer-aesthetic-54960/|title=Outfest 4 in Focus: "Open" Director Jake Yuzna On His Queer Aesthetic {{!}} IndieWire|last=Indiewire|website=www.indiewire.com|date=6 July 2010|language=en|access-date=2017-08-15}}</ref> at the Berlin Film Festival and in 2005 Yuzna become the youngest recipient of funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Although known mainly for their work in film, Yuzna has curated several retrospectives, exhibitions and special projects. In 2010, they founded the first cinema program at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. Between 2011 - 2013 they organized the first fellowship, publication and conference to argue nightlife as a form of contemporary art.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Vartanian|first1=Hrag|title=Putting the FUN in New York Nightlife|url=http://hyperallergic.com/49801/putting-the-fun-in-new-york-nightlife/|website=hyperallergic|date=11 April 2012|access-date=5 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Frisicano|first1=Andrew|last2=Theeboom|first2=Sarah|title=Fall in New York: three NYC photo books; the Queens Museum reopens|url=http://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/fall-in-new-york-three-nyc-photo-books-the-queens-museum-reopens|website=Time Out New York|publisher=Time Out Inc|access-date=5 August 2015|archive-date=22 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140922125921/http://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/fall-in-new-york-three-nyc-photo-books-the-queens-museum-reopens|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Corona|first1=Victor P.|title=Starry Nightlife at MAD Museum|url=http://www.nyartbeat.com/nyablog/2011/06/starry-nightlife-at-mad-museum/|website=NY Art Beat|publisher=New York Art Beat|access-date=5 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/attractions/jake-yuzna-brings-fun-to-the-museum-of-arts-design-art-design|title=Jake Yuzna brings FUN to the Museum of Arts & Design|work=Time Out New York|access-date=2017-08-15|language=en}}</ref> In addition, Yuzna has authored books on contemporary art, design, and culture as well as contributed to Artforum.<ref>{{cite web | website=Artforum | date=2021-07-13 | url=https://www.artforum.com/contributor/jake-yuzna | access-date=2022-10-12|title=Jake Yuzna}}</ref>
They have also curated the first American retrospectives of artists and filmmakers including Alejandro Jodorowsky,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://madmuseum.org/series/alejandro-jodorowsky-blood-gold|title=Alejandro Jodorowsky: Blood into Gold|website=madmuseum.org|access-date=2017-08-15}}</ref> Sion Sono,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://madmuseum.org/series/sion-sono|title=Sion Sono|website=madmuseum.org|access-date=2017-08-15}}</ref> Gregg Araki,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://madmuseum.org/series/god-help-me-gregg-araki|title=God Help Me: Gregg Araki|website=madmuseum.org|access-date=2017-08-15}}</ref> Francois Sagat, and Quentin Crisp.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://madmuseum.org/series/ladies-and-gentlemen-mr-quentin-crisp|title=Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Quentin Crisp|website=madmuseum.org|access-date=2017-08-15}}</ref> In addition, Yuzna curated the first museum surveys of Metamodernsim,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://madmuseum.org/series/no-more-modern-notes-metamodernism|title=No More Modern : Notes on Metamodernism|website=madmuseum.org|access-date=2017-08-15}}</ref> the New French Extremity,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://madmuseum.org/series/j%E2%80%99adore-violence-cinema-new-french-extremity|title=J'Adore Violence: Cinema of the New French Extremity|website=madmuseum.org|access-date=2017-08-15}}</ref> and the medium of VHS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://madmuseum.org/series/vhs|title=VHS|website=madmuseum.org|access-date=2017-08-15}}</ref>
Yuzna is the son of poet Susan Yuzna and nephew to horror film director and producer Brian Yuzna.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thelmagazine.com/2010/11/open-director-jake-yuzna-on-sexuality-the-myth-of-queer-cinema-and-horror-fandom/|title=Open Director Jake Yuzna on Sexuality, the Myth of Queer Cinema, and Horror Fandom - The L Magazine|website=www.thelmagazine.com|date=15 November 2010|language=en-US|access-date=2017-08-15|archive-date=2023-02-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209023259/https://www.thelmagazine.com/2010/11/open-director-jake-yuzna-on-sexuality-the-myth-of-queer-cinema-and-horror-fandom/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Filmography ==
{|class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Film |- | 2004 || ''Between the Boys (short)'' |- | 2005 || ''Better Left Alone (short)'' |- | 2010 || ''Open'' |- |2017 || ''The Knife - Live At Terminal 5'' |- | 2021 || ''The Alternative Is Hard To See (short)'' |- |2021 || ''After America'' |- |}
==Awards and honors== *2005: "Special Jury Award for Artistic Risktaking" from IFP *2010: "Teddy Jury Prize" for Open (60th Berlin Film Festival) *2010: "Best Narrative Feature" for Open (TLV Festival) *2010: "Best Performance" for Morty Diamond in Open (New Fest) *2012: Creative Capital Award in Filmmaking *2018: "Richard P. Rogers Spirit of Excellence Award" from the America Film Institute *2019: "McKnight Fellowship in Media Artists" from McKnight Foundation and FilmNorth<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://myfilmnorth.org/2019/06/04/announcing-the-2019-mcknight-media-artist-fellows/|title = Announcing the 2019 McKnight Media Artist Fellows | FilmNorth|date = 4 June 2019|access-date = 30 November 2020|archive-date = 12 August 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190812175827/http://myfilmnorth.org/2019/06/04/announcing-the-2019-mcknight-media-artist-fellows/|url-status = dead}}</ref> *2020: "The Blood List" from British Horror Film Festival{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}} *2021: "Guggenheim Fellowship" from John Simon Guggenheim Foundation<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gf.org/fellows/all-fellows/jake-yuzna/|title=John Simon Guggenheim Foundation | Jake Yuzna}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
== Publications == {|class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Project |- | 2013 || ''THE FUN: The Social Practice of Nightlife in NYC''<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Fun/Jake-Yuzna/9781576876596|isbn = 9781576876596|title = The Fun|date = 26 November 2013|last1 = Yuzna|first1 = Jake| publisher=powerHouse Books }}</ref> |- | 2014 || ''NYC Makers''<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Yuzna |first1=Jake |title=NYC Makers: The MAD Makers Biennial |last2=Tillio |first2=Samantha |year=2014 |publisher=Museum of Arts and Design |isbn=978-1890385293}}</ref> |- | 2022 || ''No Joke: Humor as Resistance''<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Yuzna |first=Jake |date=2022 |title=No Joke: Humor as Resistance |url=http://walkerart.org/magazine/series/no-joke-humor-as-resistance |magazine=Walker Reader |location=Minneapolis, MN USA |publisher=Walker Art Center |access-date=3 December 2023}}</ref> |- | 2022 || ''No Approval Required: Twin Cities Alternative Art Spaces''<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Yuzna |first=Jake |date=2022 |title=No Approval Required: Twin Cities Alternative Art Spaces |url=https://mnartists.walkerart.org/no-approval-required-twin-cities-alternative-art-spaces |magazine=MNArtists |location=Minneapolis, MN USA |publisher=Walker Art Center |access-date=1 February 2025}}</ref> |- | 2023 || ''Content and Its Discontents''<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Yuzna |first=Jake |date=2023 |title=Content and Its Discontents |url=http://walkerart.org/magazine/series/content-and-its-discontents |magazine=Walker Reader |location=Minneapolis, MN USA |publisher=Walker Art Center |access-date=3 December 2023}}</ref> |- | 2023 || ''Solidarity in Unraveling Worlds''<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Yuzna |first=Jake |date=2023 |title=Solidarity in Unraveling Worlds |url=https://walkerart.org/magazine/series/solidarity-in-unraveling-worlds/ |magazine=Walker Reader |location=Minneapolis, MN USA |publisher=Walker Art Center |access-date=1 February 2026}}</ref> |- | 2023 || ''Nightlife as Form''<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Yuzna |first=Jake |date=2023 |title=Nightlife as Form |url=https://walkerart.org/magazine/series/nightlife-as-form/ |magazine=Walker Reader |location=Minneapolis, MN USA |publisher=Walker Art Center |access-date=1 February 2026}}</ref> |- | 2024 || ''Sound of Spaces''<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Yuzna |first=Jake |date=2024 |title=Sound of Spaces |url=https://walkerart.org/magazine/series/sounds-of-space/ |magazine=Walker Reader |location=Minneapolis, MN USA |publisher=Walker Art Center |access-date=1 February 2026}}</ref> |}
== Curation ==
{|class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Project |- | 2010 || ''Zombo Italiano: The 1970s Italian Zombie Movement'' |- | 2010 || ''Blood into Gold: The Cinematic Alchemy of Alejandro Jodorowsky'' |- | 2011 || ''An Assault of Reality'' |- | 2011 || ''David Bowie, Artist'' |- | 2011 || ''François Sagat: The New Leading Man'' |- | 2011 || ''The Home Front: American Design Now'' |- | 2011 || ''Isaach De Bankolé, an Unexpected Gentlema'' |- | 2011 || ''No More Modern : Notes on Metamodernism'' |- | 2011 || ''Sion Sono: The New Poet'' |- | 2011 || ''The User: The New Auteur'' |- | 2011 - 2013 || ''THE FUN Fellowship in the Social Practice of Nightlife'' |- | 2012 || ''Adults in the Dark: Avant-Garde Animation'' |- | 2012 || ''Anna Molska, Human Material '' |- | 2012 || ''Argento: Il Cinema Nel Sangue'' |- | 2012 || ''Julika Rudelius'' |- | 2012 || ''Susan Hefuna: Vantages'' |- | 2012 || ''No Wave Cinema'' |- | 2012 || ''VHS'' |- | 2013 || '';)'' |- | 2013 || ''After the Museum'' |- | 2013 || ''ESP TV'' |- | 2013 || ''God Help Me: Gregg Araki'' |- | 2013 || ''It Is Crispin Hellion Glover'' |- | 2013 || ''J’Adore Violence: Cinema of the New French Extremity'' |- | 2013 || ''Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Quentin Crisp'' |- | 2013 || ''Takeshi Murata : Mortality'' |- | 2013 || ''Without Compromise: The Cinema of William Klein'' |- | 2014 || ''NYC Makers: The 2014 MAD Biennial'' |- | 2014 || ''Life with Technology: The Cinema of Godfrey Reggio'' |- | 2015 || ''It's Hard to be Human: The Cinema of Roy Andersson'' |- | 2015 || ''The Director Must Not Be Credited: 20 Years of Dogme 95'' |- | 2015 || ''The Unseen Cinema of HR Giger'' |- | 2015 || ''Andrei Tarkovsky, Sculpting in Time'' |- | 2015 || ''Remember Film?'' |- | 2018 || ''Plastic Futures and Premillennial Tensions: 1990s Science Fiction Cinema before a New Millennium'' |- | 2023 || ''Eve Fowler: A Universal Shudder (co-curated with BF Hall)'' |- | 2023 || ''Make Sense of This: Visitors Respond to the Walker’s Collection (co-curator)'' |- | 2024 || ''Sadie Barnette: The New Eagle Creek Saloon (co-curator)'' |- | 2024 || ''Nightlife as Form'' |- |}
==References== {{reflist|2}} *
== External links == * {{IMDb name|1723199}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yuzna, Jake}} Category:1982 births Category:American people of German descent Category:American male screenwriters Category:American experimental filmmakers Category:American documentary film directors Category:English-language film directors Category:Living people Category:Film directors from Minnesota Category:Writers from Minneapolis Category:American LGBTQ film directors Category:American LGBTQ screenwriters Category:Screenwriters from Minnesota Category:American queer men Category:21st-century American male writers