Marco Jake Benassi
filmmaker. director. video editor.
Searching for a director, video editor, or collaborator to bring your vision to the screen?
“Jake is a thoughtful, creative, gifted filmmaker and friend.”
-Steven T. Seagle, graphic novelist, animator, co-creator of Big Hero 6, Ben Ten, author of Get Naked!, It’s A Bird…, and Genius.
“I cherish every opportunity to work with Jake. He is an enormously talented director and even better human.”
-Elsa Guenther, Actress
“Jake is the highest quality film editor I’ve worked with. He is a pleasure to work with on all fronts— consistency, communication, quality.”
-Ross, professional video editor
“I always look forward to Jake’s projects.”
-Dan Pal, founder PalCinema, professor of film at DePaul University, filmmaker, film critic
Award-Winning Indie Filmmaker & Video Editor
Jake is a multiple festival award-winning filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California.
Along with his partner Anna, Jake has written, directed, and edited two feature-length indie films on micro-budgets that each had an impressive run on the indie film festival circuit.
Jake’s films explore themes including mental health, coming-of-age, isolation and belonging, grief, gun violence, and more — blending the poignant, personal, humorous, and, sometimes, slightly twisted.
Jake’s films have been screened at numerous festivals, including:
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Bark (2017)
writer, director, editor
*winner of Programmer’s Standout Award, Hell’s Half Mile Film Festival
*winner of Best Windy City Feature at Blowup International Arthouse Film Festival
“After the sudden loss of their mother, three suburban siblings struggle to move forward as witnessed by their dog, Leadbelly. This mumblecore drama from Chicago beautifully captures sibling relationships and grief while never resorting to exaggeration or over-simplification… Directors Anna Nilles and Marco Jake aren’t afraid to linger on boredom or real-time mundanity (introduced with an opening quote from the poet John Berryman, “Life, friends, is boring.”) But the film gives us plenty to chew on, most significantly in its rich characterizations of its three leads.
All told, it’s an impressive first feature from Nilles and Jake who tap perfectly into the attitudes and personalities of its young characters, never overselling the drama but finding plenty of emotion in unlikely places.” —No Budge review
Watch the film Bark on the indie-film streaming platform No Budge.
Itchy Fingers (2020)
writer, director, editor
*Best Acting Performance awarded to lead actor Zach Schultz
“Ernie Burroughs cares about one thing: being funny. After graduating high school, he devotes his days to posting videos of his act online, waiting to get discovered. When his dad insists he either go to college or get a job, Ernie offers a compromise: he’ll join a youth theatre group. His dad agrees under one condition: he cannot quit. Ms. Reddy, the theatre’s charismatic director, instantly senses something special about Ernie and casts him as the lead of her upcoming “group-devised” production. Ernie is thrilled until he realizes the play will be about a school shooting and he will be playing the shooter. Gradually, the play infects his life, his mind and his relationships. He grows suspicious of the world around him, believing that something sinister behind the scenes is manipulating him toward an inevitably violent end.” — No Budge review
Watch the film Itchy Fingers on No Budge.
Experienced Video Editor — deeply trusted for 10+ years by clients and collaborators, including:
Let’s talk numbers…
Director, writer, editor on two feature-length projects.
Lead editor on a 40-minute short film.
200+ corporate training videos edited.
50+ educational animated videos edited for medical students.
500+ hours of well-crafted film & video edited.
10+ years of professional editing experience:
Animation. Commercial. Corporate. Creative. Music. Live Events. Educational. Promotional.
bio — about jake
Jake is originally from Chicagoland. A graduate of DePaul University’s film school, Jake lived in Chicago for a decade before moving to Los Angeles in 2022 with his partner Anna and a dog named Tuesday.
let’s work together
Behind the Camera - Directing, Camera Work
watch Bark and Itchy Fingers
Video / Film Editing
Check out Jake’s portfolio of clips at jakebenassi.com.
Short films
Feature films
Commercial
Educational
Simple Animations
Music Videos
Corporate
and more
Film Set / Production Work
Film tech for live events
Production Assistance
contact below for availability & rates.
Want to Work Together? Send Jake a shout below.
Looking forward to connecting!