Appendix A
Author Bio

Jason B. Kohl is an Austrian/American filmmaker from Lansing, Michigan. He completed his BA in English at Kalamazoo College before moving to Berlin, Germany, on a Fulbright Scholarship. He stayed on after the Fulbright, living and working in the German film industry for two more years, until he was accepted into the MFA Production/Directing Program at UCLA Film School in Los Angeles.

His UCLA MFA Thesis Film The Slaughter premiered at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival, was a Student Academy Award Finalist and played several other film festivals including Locarno and BFI London. Filmmaker Magazine called it “A masterfully directed story.” The film was released online in 2014 through Short of the Week and was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick. His documentary short 80 to 90 ft premiered at the 2014 Los Angeles Film Festival and was acquired for television distribution by American Express.

After completing his MFA, Jason returned to Berlin on a DAAD Artist Scholarship. He remains based in Berlin, where he does commissioned work with his partner Nora Mandray. As “Mako,” their clients include Etsy, MSNBC, and Vocativ. He is currently working on his first feature film, which, like all his other films, is set in Michigan.