Who The F*ck Is Jeffrey Gurian?

I met Jeffrey Gurian when I first moved to New York. After working in restaurants to make ends meet for a few months, I was itching to do anything involving film. I scoured Craigslist applying to everything I saw that looked somewhat related to video production. A few days later I received an email titled, "RE: Nationally Known Comedy Writer Seeks Intern."  Next thing I knew, I was in Jeffrey's Upper East Side apartment being interviewed to edit videos for his Youtube channel, Comedy Matters TV. The walls in his apartment were filled from ceiling to floor with pictures of Jeffrey with every celebrity on the planet. While I only ended up working for Jeffrey out of his apartment for a few months, the experience left an impression on me.

About five years later, I was struggling to get a narrative film off the ground. Raising funds is not my specialty. I thought, "Am I going to be stuck making content for brands that I don't believe in and just pursuing my original work instead of actually being able to make it?" Jeffrey popped into my head. I identified with his life long pursuit of comedy fame and wanted to tell that story. I called him the next day and we met at a diner to discuss the possibility of me making a film chronicling his life and work in comedy. 

"Who The F*ck Is Jeffrey Gurian?" is a documentary short film that focuses on the career and life of Jeffrey Gurian, a fixture in the comedy world for the last 40 years. Jeffrey has worked with and around the biggest stars in comedy since the 1980s. From Dangerfield to Burle to Dice, Jeffrey has written for them. He has made films, written multiple books, and now runs a Youtube channel that features red carpet interviews with celebrities. He accomplished all of this while also running his own cosmetic dentistry practice. 

The contradiction of his two professions drew attention from almost every news station in New York and he was featured in the New York Times as well. While he has since retired from his dental practice, he is still very much in the comedy world pursuing his childhood dream of being a famous comedian. This film takes a deep dive into that pursuit and tells Jeffrey's story on a very intimate level. 

"Who The F*ck Is Jeffrey Gurian?" had its world premiere on Short Of The Week.

Director/Producer/Cinematographer/Editor - Derek Brown
Associate Producer - Jacob Salzberg
Graphic Design/Illustration/Animation - Rich Schemm
Colorist - Frankie Turiano
Post Sound Mixer - Gaelan Mullins
Music Supervisor - Ethan Converse
Original Music - Alex Collier & Lincoln Lute