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JON MORITSUGU
BIO

Writer/director JON MORITSUGU has been making films since 1985. In 1989, Village Voice critic J.Hoberman called Moritsugu's Brown University thesis short, DER ELVIS, one of the "Top 50 films of the 80's." Since then, his features MOD FUCK EXPLOSION, MY DEGENERATION, FAME WHORE, SCUMROCK, and HIPPY PORN have scorched eyeballs worldwide from Sundance to MOMA to Cannes to the Guggenheim to Berlin to Toronto to name a few. In 1993, James Schamus (Focus Features) produced Moritsugu's television comedy, TERMINAL USA, which aired nationwide on PBS. Moritsugu has garnered critical acclaim and top awards at the New York Underground Film Festival (Best Feature 3 times in a row) as well as the Screenwriting Award at the Austin Film Fest and Oscar consideration for his feature FAME WHORE. He has worked with his wife/leading lady Amy Davis for 20 years. She was co-writer of his last feature, SCUMROCK, as well his newest magnum opus, PIG DEATH MACHINE. In 2012, their music video "No Future Shock" for the band TV ON THE RADIO received a Grammy nomination. Moritsugu and Davis are currently in post-production on their newest movie, PIG DEATH MACHINE, which will be completed in the fall of 2012.

AWARDS
2013 20TH CHICAGO UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL "LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD" for PIG DEATH MACHINE
2012 GRAMMY NOMINATION (LONG FORM VIDEO) for "NO FUTURE SHOCK" by TV ON THE RADIO
2003 NEW YORK UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL "BEST FEATURE" for SCUMROCK
2002 CHICAGO UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL "BEST FEATURE" for SCUMROCK
1999 OSCAR CONTENDER recognition for FAME WHORE
1997 NEW YORK UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL "BEST FEATURE"+"FESTIVAL CHOICE" for FAME WHORE
1997 HONOLULU UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL "BEST FEATURE" for FAME WHORE
1997 AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL "SCREENPLAY SEMI-FINALIST" for FAME WHORE
1995 NEW YORK UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL "BEST FEATURE" for MOD FUCK EXPLOSION
1990 BIG MUDDY FILM FESTIVAL "POPULAR CHOICE" for MY DEGENERATION
1990 THE VILLAGE VOICE "TOP 50 MOVIES OF THE 1980'S" for DER ELVIS


GRANTS
2005 CREATIVE CAPITAL FOUNDATION distribution grant for SCUMROCK
2001 CREATIVE CAPITAL FOUNDATION post-production grant for SCUMROCK
2001 CHICAGO UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL post-production grant for SCUMROCK
1998 DOCKERS/LEVI STRAUSS short film commission for CRACK
1996 ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION AWARD for FAME WHORE
1993 INDEPENDENT TELEVISION SERVICE production grant for TERMINAL, USA
1992 NATIONAL ASIAN AMERICAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION (NAATA) production grant for MOD FUCK EXPLOSION