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Ben DeJesus

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Ben DeJesus
Born
Trenton, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupations
  • Director
  • producer
  • writer
Years active1998–present

Ben DeJesus is an American documentary filmmaker, television director, and producer.[1][2][3]

Life and career

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DeJesus was born in Trenton, New Jersey. Raised in nearby Ewing Township, New Jersey, he attended Ewing High School and studied theater and journalism at Rutgers University.[4] After working as a stage actor, he obtained an internship at MTV, where he became an associate producer and writer on several seasons of MTV Cribs.[4] In the early 2000s he founded Diamante Pictures and directed music videos for artists including Don Omar, Aventura, Fat Joe, and N.O.R.E..[5]

DeJesus directed and produced the PBS documentary Tales from a Ghetto Klown (2013).[6] He later directed Great Performances: John Leguizamo’s Road to Broadway (2018) and American Masters: Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage (2019).[7][8] He also served as a producer on the Broadway production Latin History for Morons (2018) and directed episodes of the Disney Channel series Bunk’d.[9] He co-founded the production company NGL Studios and later established Casa NoHo Studios.[10]

In 2023, DeJesus began directing and executive producing the MSNBC series Leguizamo Does America.[11] In 2024 he co-created and executive produced the three-part PBS series American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos.[12]

Selected filmography

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Year Title Contribution Note
2013 Tales from a Ghetto Klown Director and producer Documentary
2017–2019 Bunk’d Director 2 Episodes
2018 Great Performances: John Leguizamo’s Road to Broadway Director Documentary
2019 American Masters: Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage Director and producer Documentary
2021 American Masters: Lights, Camera, Acción Producer Documentary short
2023 Leguizamo Does America Director and executive producer Documentary series
2024 American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos Co-creator and executive producer Documentary series

Awards and nominations

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Year Result Award Category Work Ref.
2018 Nominated Tony Awards Best Play Latin History for Morons [13]
2019 Won Imagen Awards Best Documentary Great Performances: John Leguizamo’s Road to Broadway [14]
2020 Nominated Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series American Masters: Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage [15]
2022 Won Imagen Awards Best Short Film American Masters: Lights, Camera, Acción [16]
2024 Nominated Cinema Eye Honors Outstanding Anthology Series Leguizamo Does America [17]
2025 Won Imagen Awards Best Special or Television Movie American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos [18]

References

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  1. ↑ "Filmmaker Ben DeJesus Talks Raul Julia's Legacy and the Crisis in Puerto Rico". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  2. ↑ "How Ben Dejesus and NGL Produced Latin Inauguration Segments in 5 Days". billboard.com. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Latinos in Hollywood: A Conversation with Director Ben DeJesus". dga.org. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Ben DeJesus: From Trenton to Hollywood, and Broadway, and …". trentonian.com. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  5. ↑ "2023 Presenters & Honoree". burbankfilmfest.org. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  6. ↑ "In 'Tales From a Ghetto Klown,' Broadway minus the glitz". boston.com. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Getting Jazzed for Broadway's Best: John Leguizamo's Road to Broadway". pbs.org. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  8. ↑ "5 Things We Learned From Upcoming Raúl Juliá Doc That'll Make You Love Him More". remezcla.com. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  9. ↑ "'Latin History for Morons' announces recoupment". broadwaynews.com. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Ben DeJesus of Casa NoHo Studios: "The DNA Of Microdramas Is 100% Latin American Telenovelas"". produ.com. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  11. ↑ "John Leguizamo hits the road again for Season 2 of 'Leguizamo Does America'". latimes.com. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Q&A: Filmmakers Discuss 'VOCES American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos'". pbs.org. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  13. ↑ "2018 Tony Award Nominations". tonyawards.com. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  14. ↑ "34th Annual Imagen Awards Winners Announced". imagen.org. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Nominees & Winners". televisionacademy.com. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  16. ↑ "'Encanto' Co-Director Shocked by Best Director Win Over Steven Spielberg at 2022 Imagen Awards: 'That's Serious Bragging Rights'". variety.com. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  17. ↑ "The Nominees for the 17th Annual Cinema Eye Honors". cinemaeyehonors.com. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Liza Colón-Zayas, John Leguizamo, Benjamin Bratt & More Among Winners Of 40th Imagen Awards – Full List". deadline.com. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
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