Leon Gast
Directing
- Born
- March 1, 1936 (age 90) · Jersey City, New Jersey, USA
Leon Gast is an American documentary film director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. His documentary When We Were Kings depicting the iconic heavyweight boxing match termed The Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman won the 1996 Academy Award for Documentary Feature and the Independent Spirit Award. Gast co-directed the 1977 documentary The Grateful Dead Movie with guitarist Jerry Garcia. The film captured the band's October 1974 five-night performance at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. Gast also co-directed the 1983 film Hell's Angels Forever.
A native of Jersey City, New Jersey, Gast studied dramatic arts at Columbia University, and in that same period worked the television series High Adventure with writer and broadcaster Lowell Thomas. Gast is also known for his still photography which has appeared in such magazines as Vogue, Esquire, and Harper's Bazaar.
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Gast's most recent project is a documentary entitled Smash His Camera, a film about paparazzi photographer Ron Galella. The film won "Best Director" of a documentary at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
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Known for
When We Were Kings
October 25, 1996
Manny
December 31, 2014
The Grateful Dead Movie
June 2, 1977
Smash His Camera
July 30, 2010
Soul Power
June 10, 2009
Hells Angels Forever
October 9, 1983
Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson
February 12, 1993
Our Latin Thing (Nuestra Cosa)
January 1, 1972
B.B. King: Live In Africa '74
May 13, 1998
Salsa
August 18, 1976
B.B. King: Live - Most Famous Hits
October 20, 2003
Pointer Sisters: All Night Long
February 25, 2003
Behind the camera16
- 2025The Grateful Dead Movie 2025 Meet-Up Director
- 2015Sporting Dreams Director, Writer
- 2014Manny Director
- 2010Smash His Camera Director
- 2009Soul Power Producer
- 20031 Love Director
- 2003B.B. King: Live - Most Famous Hits Editor, Director, Producer
- 2003Pointer Sisters: All Night Long Director, Producer, Editor
- 1998B.B. King: Live In Africa '74 Producer, Director, Editor
- 1996When We Were Kings