Jeff Sumerel
Writer/Producer/Director

Jeff Sumerel began seriously developing his talent for film, art, and performance in 1974 at the San Francisco Art Institute. As a result, by 1976 two of his short subjects were selected for numerous film festivals as well as purchased for the S.C. Arts Commission’s permanent film collection.

While at Henderson Advertising for 3 years, as a copywriter for national brands, including Fantastik, St. Pauli Girl Beer, and STP Oil Treatment, Sumerel honed his writing skills, and furthered his role as a producer, while also absorbing a broad range of marketing experience.

In the 1980’s Sumerel capitalized on his talent for scriptwriting and performing that soon garnered him a high-ranking position on the national stand-up comedian circuit. The experience would prove to be invaluable for storytelling, pacing, editing, and targeting an audience. These skills were augmented during that period, as Sumerel was consistently hired to produce and direct entertaining, message-driven videos and stage presentations for corporate sales conventions. His clients included Verizon, BiLo Groceries, Fluor Daniel, Milliken, Michelin, and Harris Teeter. During this period, Sumerel made valuable contacts with other entertainment and film professionals who would prove to be integral in his future projects.

During the early 1990’s Sumerel produced and directed “Power of Ignorance”, a satirical, self-help metaphysical infomercial and “Forlorn Beauty”, a feature-length independent film about an eccentric, elderly Southerner and her outrageous yet poignant tales. From the acclaim received, Sumerel was offered several individual grants from SCETV to produce projects, which eventually led to the network offering him the opportunity to write, produce, and direct “Beyond Belief” a half-hour program that ingenously incorporated viewers as a character via subtitles.

In 1997, he produced and directed “Kudzulla”, a multi-disciplinary, innovative production that had live actors lip-synching and providing sound effects to a feature-length film satirizing suburban sprawl. “Kudzulla” was booked as the special event at numerous film festivals including those in Athens, GA, Brevard, NC, Charleston, SC and Memphis, TN.

In 2002, while teaming with producer, Chris White, Sumerel wrote and directed “Bragging Rites”, a feature-length documentary about the 100-year football rivalry between Clemson and the University of S.C. The film received statewide attention and went on to be distributed by BiLo groceries and Wal-Mart.

Over the years, Sumerel’s works have received numerous awards and recognition at such places as the Charlotte Film Festival, Utah Film Festival, River Run Film Festival, The Lafayette Museum, and The Baltimore Film & Video Festival where his “Vision Problems” won 1st Place. “Power of Ignorance” has been adapted into a one-man show that has received top honors at Fringe Festivals throughout Canada and Australia.

Among the venues where his films have been screened are California Arts Institute Utah Film & Video Center, Charlotte Mint Museum of Art, Cincinnati Artists Group, Piccolo, Spoleto USA, SCETV, Dayton Visual Art Institute, SC Film Crawl and Nickelodeon Theater.

Sumerel was a member of the Governor’s Task Force, for developing the S.C. Film Tax Incentive, and has been a judge or guest artist at the Utah Film & Video Festival, Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta, SC Film Festival, International Television Association and the SC Society for Philosophy among other organizations.