Director: Eli Despres

Biography: Eli Despres, ACE, created and directed the acclaimed Showtime series Couples Therapy with partners Josh Kriegman & Elyse Steinberg. He co-wrote and edited 'Weiner' (winner of the 2016 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, BAFTA nominee & shortlisted for the Academy Awards, 97% 'Fresh' at rottentomatoes.com). Despres co-wrote and edited 'Blackfish' (BAFTA nominee & shortlisted for the Academy Awards, 98% 'Fresh' at rottentomatoes.com), which was viewed by over 21 million people in the US alone, has catalyzed state and federal legislation. His other writing and editing credits include 'Red Army' (Cannes 2014, Sony Pictures Classics 97% 'Fresh' at rottentomatoes.com), 'They Call Us Monsters' (PBS), the Emmy-winning investigative journalism series 'Exposé' (PBS), feature documentary 'City Lax' (ESPN), short documentary 'At Risk' (ACAP) and the fiction feature 'Wilderness Survival for Girls' (ContentFilm/Image Entertainment), which he also directed. The Hollywood Reporter described his work as "Shattering... Eli Despres edits with propulsive narrative drive." Eli was nominated for the American Cinema Editors' Documentary award in 2014 and 2017. He is an active member of the American Cinema Editors (ACE) and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.