James LeBrecht (born May 8, 1956) is a filmmaker, sound designer, and disability rights activist.[1] He currently lives in Oakland, California.[2]

Early life

James LeBrecht was born in New York[3] with spina bifida, a neural tube defect. This made him unable to use his legs.[2] At 14 years old,[4] he began to attend Camp Jened during the summer, where he befriended teens with disabilities and felt empowered as a disabled youth.[5] He later became a member of Disabled in Action. He attended the University of California, San Diego, where he helped form the Disabled Student Union.[1]

Career

After college, LeBrecht relocated to Berkeley, California, where the disability rights movement was developing at the Center for Independent Living.[4] In Berkeley, he worked as a sound designer. He began his career at the Berkeley Repertory Theater, where he worked for ten years.[6] In the 1980s, LeBrecht obtained an apprenticeship at a post-production facility, which let him break into film.[3] Over the years, LeBrecht has done sound design work for over 145 films, with a particular focus on documentary films. His filmography includes Minding the Gap,[7] The Waiting Room, The Island President, The Kill Team, Audrie & Daisy,[8] Battlefield Earth, and Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.[9] He is the founder of Berkeley Sound Artists[6] and co-author of Sound and Music for the Theater: the art and technique of design[8] with Deena Kaye.

He is a former board member of the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund.[6]

Crip Camp

LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham are co-directors of Crip Camp (2020), an award-winning documentary.[10] The film was executive produced by Barack Obama and Michelle Obama through Higher Ground, their production company[11] The film tells the story of Camp Jened and its impact upon the disability rights movement.[12] In 2020, the film won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and the Zeno Mountain Award at the Miami Film Festival.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 "James LeBrecht". Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  2. 1 2 "'Crip Camp' Directors Jim LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham Explain How They Worked With The Obamas". Decider. 2020-03-27. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  3. 1 2 "Meet James, Sound Designer | Gladeo". Gladeo.org. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  4. 1 2 "Crip Camp: An Interview with Filmmaker Jim LeBrecht About Accessibility, Universal Design, and Spaces of Freedom". Archinect. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  5. ↑ Lopez, Kristen (2020-03-16). "'Crip Camp': Directors Jim LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham's Documentary Uncovers a Forgotten History". IndieWire. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  6. 1 2 3 "James LeBrecht, Filmmaker, Founder of Berkeley Sound Artists". Diversity Media Technology Alliance. 2019-05-16. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  7. ↑ "Jim LeBrecht". SOCIAL ACTION MEDIA. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  8. 1 2 "Crip Camp". International Documentary Association. 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  9. ↑ "James Lebrecht". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  10. ↑ Channing, Cornelia (2020-04-04). "The Directors of Netflix's Crip Camp on What the Documentary Can Teach Us Today". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  11. ↑ "How 'Crip Camp's' Bay Area filmmakers wound up capturing birth of a movement". The Mercury News. 2020-03-24. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  12. ↑ Crip Camp, retrieved 2020-04-05
  13. ↑ Crip Camp - IMDb, retrieved 2020-04-05
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