Jacob Gentry

Jacob Gentry is an American film director, editor, and writer. He is best known for The Signal, which he co-wrote and co-directed with David Bruckner and Dan Bush. He also directed the My Super Psycho Sweet 16 trilogy and collaborated with Broken Bells on short films based on their music.

Early life
Gentry was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. At fifteen, MTV aired his short film Terminator 3: School Day. Later, he attended the University of Georgia along with David Bruckner and A. J. Bowen. The three would later collaborate with Dan Bush on The Signal (2007).

Career
Gentry's first film was Last Goodbye (2004), which starred Faye Dunaway and the children of several celebrities. Gentry was initially resistant to the idea of casting the children of celebrities but relented when he realized the gimmick could be used for publicity. He later described the film as "a messy Magnolia". In 2005, he edited the film The Lady from Sockholm. His next feature was The Signal, which traces its origins to a Surrealist game called exquisite corpse in which multiple collaborators independently contribute toward the completion of an art project. After collaborating with Bruckner and Bush on The Signal, he signed a three picture deal with MTV and directed My Super Psycho Sweet 16 (2009) and its two sequels, My Super Psycho Sweet 16: Part 2 and My Super Psycho Sweet 16: Part 3. Although not a fan of reality television, Gentry decided to use the source material to discuss the financial crisis. Gentry was originally approached to contribute to the horror anthology V/H/S, but he was forced to decline due to Directors Guild of America technicalities. He instead suggested Bruckner, who joined the project. Gentry worked with the band Broken Bells on two short films. Gentry said that the shorts allowed him to explore new ideas and work in science fiction, his favorite genre. Gentry and musician Danger Mouse had gone to college together, and although they had not worked together professionally until then, they were friends. Gentry did not synchronize the films to the albums; instead, he worked from Danger Mouse's ideas and created independent narratives. In 2015 he released Synchronicity, after which he released Broadcast Signal Intrusion in 2021.

Awards and nominations
In 2008, Gentry was nominated for the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award along with Bruckner and Bush for The Signal.