The renowned screenwriter and director Jeff Brothersknown for his work on independent comedies such as Lust in the convent y Life After Bethwas found dead this Friday, January 3, 2025 at his residence in Los Angeles, local media reported. He was 47 years old.
The LA County Coroner’s Office confirmed his death to Variety. As spread TMZBaena was found by an attendant around 10:30 a.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene. The circumstances of the death are under investigation; But police sources indicated to the tabloid that the hypothesis of suicide is being considered.
The news has caused shock in the film industry and among followers of his work. Baena’s family has asked for privacy at this difficult time. “They are devastated,” he reported. Deadline.
So far, the filmmaker’s representatives have not issued an official statement.
Baena, who was born and raised in Miami, graduated from New York University (NYU) Film School before moving to Los Angeles to begin his career.
He started working as a production assistant for Robert Zemeckis and later as assistant editor for David O. Russell, with whom he co-wrote the existential comedy I Heart Huckabees (2004) which starred Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law and Naomi Watts. This title led to him being nominated for the Gotham Award for Best Picture that same year.
In 2014, Baena made his directorial debut with Life After Betha zombie comedy starring his future wife, Aubrey Plaza. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, and was later distributed by A24.
Your next project, Joshy (2016), explored grief and male friendship with an ensemble cast that included Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally and Nick Kroll.
In 2017, Baena directed Lust in the conventa comedy set in a 14th century convent loosely inspired by The Decameron by Boccaccio. The film, starring Plaza, Alison Brie and Dave Francoreceived praise for its irreverent and modern approach. It is considered by various means to be his most important work.
Other notable projects are The girl who loved horses (2020) y make me spin (2022). These films were shown at prestigious festivals such as Sundance and South by Southwest.
On television, Baena created the anthology series Cinema Toast for Showtime in 2021, an experimental project that also marked her partner’s directorial debut.
The romance began in 2011 and developed quite discreetly between Plaza and Baena. The two worked together in several films, but their romantic relationship was one of the most secretive in Hollywood.
In May 2021, Plaza revealed that they had gotten married by referring to him as her husband in an Instagram post. Before that, they had not officially mentioned their engagement.
“I am so proud of my dear husband@jeffbaena, for imagining another film that takes us to Italy to cause more problems,” he wrote then while they were preparing the film Make me spin.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his mother, Barbara Stern; his stepfather, Roger Stern; his father, Scott Baena; his stepmother, Michele Baena; his brother, Brad Baena; and his half-siblings Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman.
