praise
“Like all good speculative fiction, it uses its heightened framework to present relatable, human themes. There is a SMART, often BITING SENSE OF HUMOR.” – The black list
“wildly creative, unique, yet still relevant. Concise but effective world-building, strong dialogue, and complex but clear plotting.” – Austin film festival
“ORIGINAL, ENGAGING and CINEMATIC. I can’t express enough HOW MUCH I ENJOYED THIS SCRIPT.” – Seattle Int’l Film Festival
current projects
beasts undiscovered
in preproduction
Comedy feature film: Years after discovering the Loch Ness monster, an aging cryptozoologist mounts an expedition to find one of mythology’s rarest creatures and prove he’s not a one-hit wonder. But he’ll need help from his estranged daughter he left years ago to pursue impossible beasts. A big-hearted comedy about rediscovering wonder and human connection in a cynical world.
- Big Sky Production Grant recipient, Nicholl Fellowship quarterfinalist, Black list Top Script, more. Slated for production in 2025
- Written by Jeremy Dehn & Cat Dale, Jeremy attached to direct.
“This offbeat, high-concept comedy packs a surprisingly strong emotional punch” – Academy Nicholl Fellowship
breakwater city
under shopping agreement
Sci-fi/mystery limited television series: On an artificial island where the only law is whatever the market will bear, the scion of a powerful family is murdered. An idealistic detective wins the bid to solve the murder, and a cynical one is blackmailed into helping. As they meet fallen city board members, secret revolutionaries stewing over their recent defeat, and a queenpin whose empire of vice would be illegal anywhere but here, they’ll learn why some secrets are buried fathoms below.
- Emerging Screenwriters Genre Winner, Final Draft Big Break quarterfinalist, Austin Film Festival second rounder, ISA Top 25 Writers to Watch, more.
- Written by Jeremy Dehn
“Gritty, suspenseful noir reinvented” – ISA
“A darkly satirical exploration of governance, class, and power” – The Black List
We could be space bandits
in preproduction
Comedy short film: Waking up in a strange place with no memory of how they got there, a married couple will get answers to questions they wish they never asked.
- Featuring creature effects by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop
- To be included in an upcoming anthology of creature-based short films
- Produced by Geoff Marslett & Tyler Sapp
- Written & directed by Jeremy Dehn
selected short films & Plays
miracle investigators
Comedy/Action short film: Two priests assess the authenticity of miracles, and crack the heads of those who don’t believe.
- 35+ festival screenings, including Byron Bay, Method Fest, Nashville, Indie Spirit, and Rome International. Awards include Best Student Short, Daytona Beach Film Festival; Best of Fest Retrospective, Faux Film Festival; Audience Award, Austin Film Festival.
- Written, directed, & edited by Jeremy Dehn
happy f-ing Valentine’s Day
Comedy short film: While attempting to cheer up an embittered waitress, would-be cupids get surprising results.
- Inaugural film of Project DU F.I.L.M. mentorship and experiential learning program.
- 20+ festival screenings. awards include Best Comedy Short, Out Here Now Kansas City LGBT Film Festival; Jury Prize, Dallas Video Fest, several audience awards.
- Written by Sheila Schroeder & Kate Burns
- Produced by Sheila Schroeder
- Directed & edited by Jeremy Dehn
birthright
Horror short film: On the night his parents announce their divorce, a boy discovers a source of dark power.
- currently in preproduction
- Featuring creature effects by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop
nudibranch festival ’24
Comedy short play: A tribute to aquatic wildlife is upstaged by a drunken misunderstanding, threatening the lifelong dreams of the sober and the drunk alike.
- Written by request for Performathon and performed live at the Ten Fifteen Theater, Astoria
- Directed by John Hoff
- Written by Jeremy Dehn
treatments / in development
all the liars in the universe
Comedy/family feature film: The Trigg family has always had trouble being completely honest, whether it’s a little white lie or the occasional whopper, but when shape-shifting aliens invade earth by pretending to be human, it’ll take a family who knows a thing or two about dishonesty to stop them. A family comedy about the false skins we sometimes wear to hide our true selves.
- Written by Jeremy Dehn at the request of a major toy company’s production division
Georgia went down to the devil
Comedy feature film: An ambitious high achiever can’t believe she’s died and is now facing eternal damnation, but when an earnest demon tells her she can escape if she beats The Devil in a fiddling contest, the two set out across the nine circles of Hell to find the embittered soul of history’s greatest violinist and ask for lessons. A comedy about finding connection in the darkest of places.
- Written by Jeremy Dehn
headliners
Black comedy/thriller feature film: Inspired by an unbelievable true story – A depression-era man is discovered living withe the corpse of his dead girlfriend, and media & public opinion peg him not as a madman, but as a hopeless romantic. A young woman, determined to be adored with such devotion, works her way into his life–and into his public image. A pitch black look at the allure of fame and the politics of media identity.
- Written by Jeremy Dehn and Cat Dale
snake oil
Western feature film: Against the backdrop of the Colorado Labor Wars, a con man spins a tall tale about an abandoned mine full of gold, never expecting to be taken so seriously that he’s forced to lead an expedition to find it. Inspired by a true story, a tale about the foundational American myths we choose to believe–or mold into something we prefer to believe.
- Written by Jeremy Dehn
couple of thieves
Comedy/romance feature film: When a husband and wife are laid off by the same giant corporation, the stress takes their marriage to the breaking point, and the only way they can afford divorce proceedings is to rob the company that put them out on the street. A romantic comedy that proves the difference between thievery and a normal business practice is in the eye of the beholder.
- Written by Jeremy Dehn
genome for the holidays
Horror/comedy feature film: A young woman goes to meet her fiancé’s family over the holidays, only to find that they’ve embraced bizarre new beliefs…the worshipping of Santa’s elves. Under pressure to join in, the couple begins to suspect the family may be under the influence of something not quite human. A parable about dealing with loved ones who appear to have disconnected from reality.
- Written by Jeremy Dehn and Cat Dale
about wounded idealist
Wounded Idealist is the home for film and written work by Jeremy Dehn and various fantastic collaborators.
Jeremy’s work tends toward comedy, and even his more serious material includes elements of satire and parody. His favorite stories have thoughtful ideas and big, relatable emotions beneath the surface—the kind that sneak up on you while you’re being entertained. Jeremy’s recognition for writing, directing, and editing includes the Audience Award at the Austin Film Festival, a Nicholl Fellowship quarterfinalist, and a six-figure grant to direct his first feature, Beasts Undiscovered. In previous lives he imported knockoff sunglasses from Asia, manned phones at a doomed financial firm, and got fired from his job as a film professor after writing too honestly about it in the New York Times. Jeremy currently lives in Colorado. His daughters illustrated the Wounded Idealist logo.
Jeremy’s profile on the International Screenwriters Association
