About

Justin Bell is a feature film, TV, and branded entertainment producer based in Los Angeles. Currently he’s an executive producer at Tempo helping to oversee the tech fitness company’s media content, In Oct. 2020, his horror-comedy with Disney/20th Digital – “Summoned” – aired on FX, Freeform, and Hulu. He’s in post-production on a 1970’s style superhero heist movie – The Hyperions (2020), starring Cary Elwes, and in pre-production on Andrew Hyatt’s “The Nazarene” – a horror movie about the origins of possession and exorcism. Bell produced the TV pilot “Journey to the East”, and his bible-era feature film about Mary of Nazareth, Full of Grace, was released by Cinedigm on BluRay/DVD in Walmart and Target stores, and is also available for download on iTunes. This fall, Justin wrapped a series of commercials for VTech and LeapFrog, and a large 284 video campaign in Mumbai for P&G India’s Gillette, Venus, Pantene, and Head & Shoulders brands. Other recent branded entertainment clients include: M&M’s, Samsung, Mattel, Aquaphor, Essentia Water, and JCPenney.

Bell is Co-Producer of BAFTA-winner Michael Radford’s Elsa & Fred (2015), starring Academy Award-winners Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer, which Millennium Entertainment released in theaters and VOD. In 2014, Bell helped Roma Downey and Mark Burnett’s Lightworkers Media oversee the distribution of Son of God, an epic Christ film distributed by 20th Century Fox, which grossed $60M at the domestic box office. Justin has been a creative marketing consultant for Motive Entertainment, providing creative media assets for studio film campaigns such as “The Good Lie” at Warner Bros., “Captive” at Paramount Pictures, “The Young Messiah” at Focus Features, and “The Shack” at Lionsgate.

Justin was the lead Producer of writer/director Steven Kung’s A Leading Man, a feature film distributed by Mance Media on DVD/VOD. “A Leading Man” World Premiered at Hawaii International Film Festival, and had its North American Premiere at Austin Film Festival. In 2011, Bell completed two NBC TV movies as an Associate Producer, “Field of Vision” and “Game Time” – both sponsored by Walmart & P&G – an experience that launched Justin into producing original content for global brands.  Ask J and Judgmental Moose – two comedy series that Justin produced – are currently streaming online. Bell has several projects in active development, is the former Director of the Act One Producing & Entertainment Executive Program, and is a member of the Producers Guild of America.

Justin is former Director of Development & Production for Academy Award-winning producer Edward Saxon (“The Silence of the Lambs”). He helped Mr. Saxon produce two major motions pictures, Away We Go (2009) at Focus Features, directed by Sam Mendes, and Our Family Wedding (2010) at Fox Searchlight, starring Forest Whitaker and America Ferrera. He’s also worked in creative development at Imagine Entertainment and Sony Pictures Animation.

In addition to narrative film and TV, Bell specializes in producing commercials and content for non-profit organizations. Commercial clients include (but not limited to): Country singer Miranda Lambert, Genesis Robotics, URB-E, Hogan Shoes, Disney, M&M’s, Venus/Braun, Benjamin Moore Paints, Vicks, VTech/LeapFrog, CoverGirl, SK-II, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Apartment Therapy, Tempo, Woodland Worldwide, ClearTrip.com, Pampers, Crest, Fixodent, Iams, Purina, National Association of Realtors, Castle & Cooke Mortgage, US Congressman Brad Sherman, and the California Community Colleges. And non-profit clients include (but not limited to): Compassion International, World Vision, Rick Warren/Saddleback, Awana, Biblica, The One Campaign, Willow Creek’s Global Leadership Network, Barna Group, Zondervan Publishing, The Paterson Center, All Access Conference, Baker Books, Crossway Books, Issachar Initiative, and the Lausanne Congress in Cape Town, South Africa.

Short narrative films that Bell has produced include: “Summoned” (2020), “Healthy Hannah” (2018), “Son of Efron” (2011), “Second Best” (2010), “Today’s Friday” (2009), “First Bass” (2008), and “A Love of Mime Own” (2007), which he also wrote. He was the cinematographer for “Three Nights of a Dreamer” (2007). and an editor on “Marwa” (2007).

Bell is a former producer of the City of the Angels Film Festival and Reel Spirituality Conference, both held at the Directors Guild of America.

A graduate of the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts (MFA), Justin’s thesis project, That Evening Sun (2009), was made into a critically acclaimed independent feature film (NY Times Critics Pick, two Independent Spirit Award nominations), produced by his friends Laura D. Smith and Terence Berry, directed by Scott Teems, and distributed by Freestyle Releasing. While in film school, Bell received the USC Special Project Grant, and was voted Most Outstanding Filmmaker by his peers.

Justin earned a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Fuller Theological Seminary, and is a graduate of Wheaton College (B.A.) in Illinois. He has taught film producing and marketing courses at Pepperdine University, Azusa Pacific University, and BIOLA University. Although he’s lived in Los Angeles for many years, he’ll always remain a Chicago sports fan!

Visit IMDb to view Justin’s complete filmography.

 

Video/Audio

Act One Podcast interview hosted by James Duke. Where I talk about my career journey and my insights on producing in the COVID-19 era. October 2020.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Justin talks about how his Fuller Theological Seminary experience has shaped his life and filmmaking career:

Meniscus Magazine visits the set of A Leading Man and interviews Jack Yang (actor), Steven J. Kung (writer/director) and Justin (producer):

Justin speaks about the Act One Producing & Entertainment Executive Program:

 

Justin is featured in USC’s promo video for the Peter Stark Producing Program.