Jared Masters

Jared Lee Masters is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. He was born in Georgia and spent his first year of life in Germany before returning to the United States as part of a military family, which led to frequent relocations across the country during his childhood, including time on a farm in Kansas City. He was initially homeschooled by his mother before attending public and private schools in Virginia. His early interest in filmmaking began as a teenager, when he started making skateboarding videos. At 15, he taught himself piano and later composed original music for several of his films. After joining the Screen Actors Guild in 2007, Masters moved to New York City to study acting, where he appeared in minor roles in film and television while developing independent projects. In 2011, he released his first feature film, Climb It, Tarzan! (2011), followed by a prolific run of independent features including Slink (2013), Deadly Punkettes (2014), and Ballet of Blood (2015), along with later works such as Agalmatophilia (2018) and The Nightgown (2023). His films have screened on the independent festival circuit and received recognition including awards from the EOTM Awards and audience honors at genre festivals. Masters’ work is associated with retro-influenced aesthetics, female-led casts, and a blend of horror, comedy, drama, and thriller elements. His films have developed cult and midnight-cinema followings, recognized for a distinctive directorial voice marked by surreal tonal shifts, provocative concepts, and unconventional narrative structures.