HEART
Yehuda Maayan was born and grew up in Kibbutz Dan in Israel. After serving in the Israeli army, Yehuda went to Beit-Tzvi Film School in Tel Aviv, from which he graduated in 1980. Following graduation, Mr. Maayan began working as a sound mixer in the film industry in Israel, as well as teaching filmmaking classes at the Haifa Cinematheque. In 1984, Mr. Maayan had moved to the US, where he continued to work as a sound mixer in feature films, docs, TV and commercials, first in New York City, and later in Los Angeles where he lives and work today. In between sound mixing gigs, Yehuda had been writing, producing and directing his own film projects.
In 1999, Mr. Maayan was invited to design and teach a filmmaking course at the acclaimed, Escuela Internacional de Cine y Television in Cuba, where he continues to teach a one semester course every year. In 2005 Mr. Maayan was asked to teach the same course at the Film Workshops School, in Rockport, Maine, USA, where he continues to be a visiting lecturer. In 2007 Mr. Maayan was invited to design a series of filmmaking workshops in Bolivia, first at Founducion Okamau in La Paz, and later at La Escuela Supirior de Ciencia y Arte in Cochabamba, La Universidad Catolica Boliviana (La Paz) and La Fabrica (Cochabamba).
While maintaining a successful career as a sound mixer, a filmmaker and a lecturer, Mr. Maayan went back to school and in 2004 graduated with honors from California State University, Long Beach with a degree in kinesiology and sport’s psychology.
In 2006, Mr. Maayan wrote, produced and directed Insh’Allah (Good Willing), a short fiction film which follows the last twenty-four hours in the life of two young women, an Israeli and a Palestinian under the shadow of the Middle East conflict. Mr. Maayan is currently in post-production for his feature length documentary, Law of the Heart, in which he documents a global social movement that pledges its allegiance not to a nation, a religion or leader, but rather to the calling of the heart.
Mr. Maayan is a core member of The Center for the Advancement of Nonviolence in Los Angeles and is an Agape Licensed Spiritual Practitioner since 2003.
Filmography:
Writer and Director:
No Place to Go - Short Fiction, 26 minutes
Today I Am a Singer - Short Documentary, 19 minutes
Insh'Allah (God Willing) - Short Fiction, 12 minutes
Production Sound Mixer
"Me and You and Everyone We Know," IFC Films. Miranda July, Director. 2005.
"The Good Girl", Myriad Pictures, Miguel Arteta, Director. 2001.
"Chuck and Buck", Toga Productions. Miguel Arteta, Director. 1999
"Visas and Virtues", Cedar Grove Productions. Chris Tashima, Director.
(Oscar winner, best short film, 1998)
"Colors Straight Up," Echo Films. Michelle Ohaion, Director.
(Oscar nominated, best documentary, 1997)