Jesse Keller is a writer, director, and teacher of filmmaking. As a young adult, he work as a robotic monkey operator at Barona Casino, acted on stage, and bummed around the world from Phnom Penh to Ouagadougou. He wrote about his experiences traveling the world for the San Diego Union-Tribune and in a one-act play, War Stories, that was produced at the Fritz Theatre's Blitz of New Plays. Jesse studied World Arts and Cultures at UCLA and earned his MFA from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. He went on to write and direct the award-winning feature film THANE OF EAST COUNTY, which screened at film fests across the USA and is now streaming on Amazon Prime. Jesse’s short films include his recent reimagining of H.P. Lovecraft’s story THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZANN and the ultra-short GUN FINGERS, both of which were official selections at numerous film festivals. His feature screenplays have been recognized by top contests including Script Pipeline, Tracking Board Launch Pad, Slamdance, and the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Contest. His feature script, NIX, co-written with Evan Muehlbauer is currently in development with Industry Works Productions, in partnership with Blue Rider Pictures and Uncorked Productions. Their collaboration BREAKDOWN is also in development with Blue Rider. Jesse and Evan have also worked with Zero Gravity Management to develop in-house projects. Jesse is an Associate Professor of Digital Storytelling at San Diego Mesa College, where he helps the next generation of storytellers develop their craft.