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Director

Leon Gast

Born March 1, 1936 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA14 films

Leon Gast is an American documentary film director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. His documentary When We Were Kings depicting the iconic heavyweight boxing match termed The Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman won the 1996 Academy Award for Documentary Feature and the Independent Spirit Award. Gast co-directed the 1977 documentary The Grateful Dead Movie with guitarist Jerry Garcia. The film captured the band's October 1974 five-night performance at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. Gast also co-directed the 1983 film Hell's Angels Forever.

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A native of Jersey City, New Jersey, Gast studied dramatic arts at Columbia University, and in that same period worked the television series High Adventure with writer and broadcaster Lowell Thomas. Gast is also known for his still photography which has appeared in such magazines as Vogue, Esquire, and Harper's Bazaar.

Gast's most recent project is a documentary entitled Smash His Camera, a film about paparazzi photographer Ron Galella. The film won "Best Director" of a documentary at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Leon Gast, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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When We Were Kings posterFirst watchWhen We Were Kings19967.6It's 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years younger and the heavyweight champion of the world.View film

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Filmography

14 films as director
  1. 2025The Grateful Dead Movie 2025 Meet-UpDirector
  2. 2015Sporting DreamsDirector
  3. 2014MannyDirector
  4. 2010Smash His CameraDirector
  5. 20031 LoveDirector
  6. 2003B.B. King: Live - Most Famous HitsDirector
  7. 2003Pointer Sisters: All Night LongDirector
  8. 1998B.B. King: Live In Africa '74Director
  9. 1996When We Were KingsDirector
  10. 1993Fania All Stars: Live In Africa 1974Director
  11. 1983Hells Angels ForeverDirector
  12. 1977The Grateful Dead MovieDirector
  13. 1976SalsaDirector
  14. 1972Our Latin Thing (Nuestra Cosa)Director