Aaron Katz

Aaron Katz was an independent filmmaker whose notable works included "Quiet City" (2007) and "Land Ho!" (2014). A native Oregonian, Katz was born in Portland on October 29, 1981. His aspirations to become a director began while he was a student at Pacific Crest Community School, where he was often seen with his super 8mm camera, filming short movies. Katz continued his development as a filmmaker when he enrolled at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where he directed several short films in digital video and 16mm formats. In 2005, he was a co-director of documentary "All the Stage Is a World." Katz's first big break into feature films was 2006's "Dance Party, USA," which was filmed on a budget of $2,000 and premiered at the year's South by Southwest Film Festival. His next film, "Quiet City," was also filmed on a budget and premiered at 2007's SXSW Film Festival. It received critical praise from film critics and earned Katz a nomination for the John Cassavetes Award at the 23rd Independent Spirit Awards in 2008. After completing his third film "Cold Weather" (2011), Katz went on to co-write, co-direct, and edit his next project "Land Ho!" A buddy comedy set in Iceland, the independent film was a critical success when it premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was screened at the Tribeca and Los Angeles film festivals.