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An obituary has been published following the passing of Jeff Baena.

The screenwriter and director, who was married to actress Aubrey Plaza, died by suicide earlier this month on January 3. He was 47-years-old.

The Miami Herald has now released an obituary remembering Jeff.

Keep reading to find out more…“It is with profound sadness and grief that we announce the sudden and unexpected death of Jeff Baena, a beloved son, husband, brother, uncle and friend to many.” the obit wrote. “Jeff left us too soon but despite his woefully too-short life, he left us with treasured memories of a gifted filmmaker, as well as a very special person on so many different levels.”

“Jeff was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He attended Killian High School in Kendall, Florida. He graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 1999. Upon graduation, Jeff relocated to Los Angeles to pursue writing and directing movies.

Two days after the death of writer/director Jeff Baena, Aubrey Plaza has released a brief statement responding to the death of her husband. The statement, which is attributed to Plaza and the Baena/Stern family, reads: “This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.“

Baena was found dead in a Los Angeles residence on January 3rd, and the L.A. County Coroner’s Office determined the cause of death to be suicide. He was 47.

Baena got his start as a production assistant for Robert Zemeckis before becoming an assistant editor for David O. Russell. However, after a minor car accident injured one of Baena’s eyes, Russell encouraged him to start writing. “He was super-generous, creatively. He allowed me to advocate for any ideas that were in conflict with his ideas,” Baena said of Russell. “We were on the same wavelength,...

Aubrey Plaza and the family of her late husband, Jeff Baena, released a brief but heartfelt statement on Monday, two days after his death by suicide.

“This is an unimaginable tragedy,” the statement read. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”

The statement was attributed to Plaza and the Baena/Stern family. In addition to Plaza, survivors include his mother, Barbara Stern, and stepfather, Roger Stern; father Scott and stepmother Michele Baena; brother Brad Baena; stepsister Bianca Gabay; and stepbrother Jed Fluxman.

Baena, an indie film director and writer, died Friday in his Los Angeles home, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. He was 47.

Baena got his big break when he co-wrote I Heart Huckabees (2004) alongside director David O. Russell. The film was nominated for a Gotham Award for best feature.

He had been dating Plaza for...

Aubrey Plaza has shared a statement after the death of her husband Jeff Baena, who was found dead in a Los Angeles residence on Jan. 3. He was 47. The L.A. County Coroner’s Office determined the cause of death to be suicide.

“This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support,” Plaza and the Baena and Stern family shared Monday. “Please respect our privacy during this time.”

Indie filmmaker Baena wrote the script for the 2004 film “I Heart Huckabees” and directed projects such as “The Little Hours” and “Life After Beth,” which both starred Plaza. The pair also worked together on “Spin Me Round” and the series “Cinema Toast,” which marked Plaza’s directorial debut. Although they kept their relationship relatively private, Plaza and Baena began dating in 2011 and were married in May 2021.

Plaza had previously shared that being in the same industry allowed her and...

Filmmaker Jeff Baena, husband of Parks and Recreation and Agatha All Along star Aubrey Plaza, has died. He was 47.

Baena was found dead on Friday at a Los Angeles residence, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. The coroner officially reported suicide by hanging as the cause of death.

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Update (Jan. 6): The following...

Aubrey Plaza has been winning over hearts with her unique blend of dark humor and offbeat charm in Emily the Criminal and The White Lotus. But behind her success, there’s been one constant support: her husband, the quirky filmmaker Jeff Baena.

Known for his oddball indie gems like Life After Beth and The Little Hours, Baena was the kind of director who didn’t just break the mold; he made a whole new one.

Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena (Credits- @plazadeaubrey/Instagram)

Tragically, on January 4, 2025, the world was stunned to learn of Baena’s passing at just 47. Plaza, ever the private star, had a rock beside her in Baena, who was not only her biggest fan but also a fellow creative force. Though his life was cut short, Baena’s impact on indie cinema, and of course, Plaza’s career remains undeniable.

But beyond the cameras and critical acclaim,...

The famous independent director Jeff Baena died Friday at his home in Los Angeles. He was known for working with actress Aubrey Plaza. He was 47 years old. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office said Baena killed himself.

Baena became famous at the Sundance Film Festival, where many of his works were shown for the first time and got great reviews. His first movie as a director, “Life After Beth” (2014), starring Plaza, was in the running for the festival’s Grand Jury Prize before being picked up by A24.

After graduating from New York University Film School, Baena started working as a movie actor. He went to Los Angeles and worked as a production assistant for the famous director Robert Zemeckis. After that, he worked as an assistant editor for David O. Russell and co-wrote the movie “I Heart Huckabees” with Russell. This existential comedy about two cops who look...

Trigger warning: This article includes mention of suicide that readers may find disturbing.

A cause of death for Jeff Baena, the indie writer/filmmaker known for Life After Beth and The Little Hours, has been revealed, per a report by the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner. The screenwriter and director, who married actress/producer Aubrey Plaza in 2021, died by suicide.

Per additional report details, Baena was found at his residence after taking his life by hanging. Born June 29, 1977, Baena died on Jan. 3. He was 47.

In addition to the aforementioned films, both starring Plaza, Baena is also known for Joshy (2016), Horse Girl (2020), Spin Me Round (2022) and for co-writing I Heart Huckabees (2004). Upon graduating NYU Film School, the auteur moved to Los Angeles to build his career. He became a production assistant for Robert Zemeckis, working on a number of films, and followed that gig up by becoming an assistant editor for writer-director David O. Russell.

Jeff Baena, an indie film director and writer and Aubrey Plaza’s husband, has died. He was 47.

The filmmaker died by suicide on Friday in his Los Angeles home, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.

Baena’s breakthrough came when he co-wrote I Heart Huckabees (2004) alongside director David O. Russell. The film, nominated for the Gotham Award for best feature, followed two “existential detectives” who strive to solve the meaning of a series of strange coincidences.

He made his directorial debut in Life After Beth (2014), which he wrote as well. It starred Plaza as the title character and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival that year, when it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize and eventually released in theaters by A24. His next project, Joshy (2016), starring Thomas Middleditch, also bowed at Sundance with a Grand Jury nom before being released by Lionsgate.

Baena also wrote and...

Tragic news has come to light as Jeff Baena, the screenwriter and director, has passed away. He was best known for his work on films like Life After Beth (2014), Joshy (2016), The Little Hours (2017), Horse Girl (2020), and Spin Me Round (2022).

Baena is also remembered for co-writing I Heart Huckabees (2004), a film that earned a nomination for a Gotham Award for Best Feature. He had been married to actress and producer Aubrey Plaza since 2021.

Details surrounding his death are still unclear, and more information is expected in the coming days.

Baena’s career started after he graduated from NYU Film School. He moved to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking, starting as a production assistant for Robert Zemeckis. He later worked as an assistant editor for writer-director David O. Russell. His early experiences in Hollywood set the foundation for his successful career.

In 2014, Baena made his directorial debut with Life After Beth, which he also wrote.

Last Updated on January 6, 2025

Jeff Baena, the writer of I Heart Huckabees and Life After Beth, as well as the husband of actress Aubrey Plaza, has died at the age of 47.

Jeff Baena co-wrote I Heart Huckabees with its director, David O. Russell, instantly marking him as a unique voice on the independent scene. But it would be a decade later that he got behind the camera himself, directing Life After Beth in 2014. That movie, which starred eventual wife Aubrey Plaza, nabbed him a Grand Jury Prize nomination at the Sundance Film Festival, as did his next feature, 2016’s Joshy (a movie we quite liked here at JoBlo).

After working as a production assistant for Robert Zemeckis, Jeff Baena started to blossom by working for David O. Russell as an assistant editor, receiving a call from the director while he was actually watching Flirting with Disaster. He would work closely...

Tragic news. Jeff Baena has died. The screenwriter and film director is best known for Life After Beth (2014), Joshy (2016), The Little Hours (2017), Horse Girl (2020), Spin Me Round (2022), and for co-writing I Heart Huckabees (2004). He is also the husband of actress and producer Aubrey Plaza, and they have been married since 2021.

Circumstances of his passing are unclear at this moment, and we will update the post as more comes in. After graduating NYU Film School, Baena moved to Los Angeles to start building his career. He became a production assistant for Robert Zemeckis, working on a number of films, followed by a job as an assistant editor for writer-director David O. Russell. 

Baena perhaps is known for co-writing I Heart Huckabees which was nominated for the 2004 Gotham Award for Best Feature. In 2014, he made his directorial debut with Life After Beth which he also wrote. The film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival,...

Aubrey Plaza and Joe Wengert have set up the animated comedy series “Kevin” at Amazon’s Prime Video, Variety has learned.

Plaza and Wengert are co-writers and executive producers on the series, with Wengert also serving as showrunner. Dan Murphy will also executive produce. The series is produced by animation Titmouse, Plaza and Murphy’s Evil Hag Productions, and Amazon MGM Studios.

The official logline for the series states that it is about “a life-long housecat who decides that he doesn’t want to live with people anymore. Loosely inspired by a real break-up and the cat caught in the middle, Kevin dares to ask himself, “Is there a world where I don’t do the owner thing and am just… single for the rest of my life?”

“We’re thrilled to be working with Joe and Amazon to bring this cat’s story to the screen. We can’t...

Exclusive: Actress Alexi Wasser (Poker Face) has made her feature directorial debut with Messy, a relationship comedy she also wrote and leads, which is now in post. Others appearing alongside her include Adam Goldberg (The Equalizer), Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley), Mario Cantone (And Just Like That…), Ione Skye (Beef), Jack Kilmer (Palo Alto), Michael Panes (We Bought a Zoo), Ruby McCollister (Search Party), Dion Costelloe (Blue Bloods) and Merlot.

Aiming for a run on next year’s festival circuit, Messy follows the life of brutally self-aware, promiscuous, love addict Stella Fox (Wasser), who moves to New York after a devastating break up, and all her disappointing romantic dalliances over the course of a summer.

Wasser produced the film alongside the New York-based production company Simone Films, founded by Rebekah Sherman-Myntti and Kj Rothweiler. Bart Cortright served as its cinematographer.

“I call it a comedy of disappointments, very much based on my life,...

Mark Duplass and Sterling K. Brown are seeking best friends for the end of the world.

The duo star as lifelong pals who are the last survivors on the planet after the apocalypse in Mel Esyln’s debut feature film “Biosphere,” which premiered at 2022 TIFF. The film is set to be released by IFC Films.

Per the official synopsis, in the not-too-distant future, the last two men on Earth must adapt and evolve to save humanity. Billy (Mark Duplass) and Ray (Sterling K. Brown) are lifelong best friends, brothers from another mother — they also happen to be the last two men on earth. Their survival is largely due to Ray, a brilliant scientist who designed the custom biosphere they call home, outfitting it with both creature comforts and the necessities to sustain life on a doomed planet. When the population of their fishpond — which supplies essential protein — begins waning, the...

Mark Duplass and Sterling K. Brown have survived the apocalypse. Now what?

The “Safety Not Guaranteed” star and “This Is Us” alum actor play the two last men on Earth who must adapt and evolve to save humanity in Mel Eslyn’s debut feature “Biosphere.” The film premiered at 2022 TIFF and is executive produced by Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass.

Per the official synopsis, Billy (Duplass) and Ray (Brown) are lifelong best friends, brothers from another mother —they also happen to be the last two men on Earth. Their survival is largely due to Ray, a brilliant scientist who designed the custom biosphere they call home, outfitting it with both creature comforts and the necessities to sustain life on a doomed planet. When the population of their fishpond — which supplies essential protein — begins waning, the men find themselves facing an ominous future. But life may yet find a way…

Director...

Exclusive: We hear that Kris Rey is set to direct Sooner or Later, a romantic comedy that’s early in the works at 20th Century Studios from scribe Tess Morris and produced by Logan‘s Scott Frank.

Sooner or Later focuses on Nora, a cynical British journalist who is hired to write a puff piece for a legendary Hollywood playboy attempting to reinvent his image.

Rey’s most recent comedy feature I Used To Go Here premiered at SXSW in 2020 and starred Gillian Jacobs and Jemaine Clement. The pic was acquired stateside by Gravitas Ventures. Previously, she wrote and directed the feature Unexpected, which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and stars Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, and Elizabeth McGovern.

Up next on the feature side, Rey is attached to direct Higher Ground, a natural disaster rom-com written by Olivia Wolfe and Neel Shah. Dave Bernad and Ruben Fleischer are producing.

Hulu’s upcoming comedy “Life & Beth” nabbed Laura Benanti for a recurring guest star role, Variety has learned exclusively.

Benanti will play Jane, a struggling mother, in the series from Amy Schumer, who writes, directs, executive produces and stars as the titular character.

While Beth’s life looks good on paper — from her job as a wine distributor to her long-term relationship and cosmopolitan life in Manhattan — a sudden incident forces her to engage with her past, which changes her life forever. The show will center flashbacks to teenage Beth, which allows her to realize how she became who she is, as well as think more deeply about who she still wants to become.

Benanti, who can currently be seen in Netflix’s “Tick, Tick… Boom!” adaptation and HBO Max’s reimagining of “Gossip Girl,” was already in production on “Life & Beth.”

Her other recent television credits include “Younger,...

In the wake of the pandemic, shows have gotten inventive, many eschewing actors entirely in favor of finding unique ways to tell stories with animated methods. Case in point: the upcoming AMC+ series “Ultra City Smiths,” which released its first trailer below and looks to be a fun / bizarre, murder-mystery told with stop-motion animation and baby dolls.

The plot synopsis per AMC:

From AMC Studios and created by Steve Conrad and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios “Ultra City Smiths” unfolds via the stop-motion animation of baby dolls repurposed as a grown-up cast of characters. The series hinges on an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of fictional metropolis Ultra City’s most famous magnate (Smith).

Two intrepid detectives (Jimmi Simpson and Da’Vine Joy Randolph) follow the case, rallying to fight against their city’s dangerous corruption, at a high cost to themselves and their families, all in pursuit of a gentler place to call home.

If there’s any silver lining to the last year, it was how it compelled creators to think even further outside the box. For director/writer Jeff Baena, the idea for the Showtime anthology “Cinema Toast” came as the result of being unable to direct a feature film in Italy — and transferring his weekly poker game to the online sphere after Covid hit.

In chatting with his friends, Baena joked about doing something similar to Woody Allen’s debut feature — 1966’s “What’s Up, Tiger Lily” — by taking existing features and altering them. “Everyone thought it was funny…and later on that night [the project] started spinning in my head about how that’s actually not a bad idea,” Baena told IndieWire. Baena saw the opportunity to not necessarily dub over something, but use the features as a springboard to create a totally new story and genre than what was originally filmed.

One of the more interesting pandemic-era film narratives to emerge, Jeff Baena’s Showtime series “Cinema Toast,” reconditions classic film footage from the public domain, overlaying new dialogue and situations to create new hybrid shorts, landing somewhere between “Mystery Science 3000” and the early 2000s show “Mxc.” Produced by The Duplass Brothers, and featuring a host of famous indie directors – including Baena, Alex Ross Perry, David Lowery, Kris Rey, Aubrey Plaza, among others – “Cinema Toast” is fascinating, but oftentimes hit or miss, as each episode wildly careens through interests, genres, and even forms with decidedly mixed results and no episode-to-episode continuity.

Continue reading ‘Cinema Toast’ Is An Odd, Absurd Pandemic-Era Diversion [Review] at The Playlist.

While pandemic times has brought a lot of difficulties and frustrations to the film and television industries, there are advtantages: given the limitations, people are forced to get creative. What kind of work can we make when we can't physically work together? How do we adapt our work and find creative means of expression while distancing? How can we use that which is at our limited disposal, to tell the stories we need and want to tell? One such offering that explores new means and filters of expression is Cinema Toast, a limited series that takes public domain footage and gives it new twists with new voiceovers and stories. Created by Jeff Baena, and executive produced by the Duplass...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

"Be warned: this will shock, alarm, repulse, and revolt you!" Showtime has unveiled an official trailer for a series titled Cinema Toast, an experimental pandemic-created mash-up of old cinema classics. Created by filmmaker Jeff Baena, "Cinema Toast" takes old footage now in the public domain, and updates it again. "Wildly experimental new series from an eclectic group of celebrated indie filmmakers who’ve re-edited and re-scored footage from public domain films and overdubbed them with performances of contemporary actors to tell new, wholly original stories." The fun voiceover cast includes Fred Armisen, Alison Brie, Nicole Byer, Colman Domingo, Chloe Fineman, Jake Johnson, Christina Ricci, Chris Meloni, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Dan Stevens, Lorraine Toussaint, and many others. This has already launched on Showtime and all the first episodes are already streaming - I'm just catching up with it because it sounds amusing and wacky. And it reminds me...