From Jiro Dreams of Sushi to Chef's Table and Beyond: Team Building in the Pursuit of Perfection
While directing Jiro Dreams of Sushi, DAVID GELB learned the hard way how painful it can be to go it alone. Equipped with nothing more than a plane ticket, a camera and a local translator, David almost immediately realized he was in over his head. And while at first sushi master Jiro Ono appeared to be a romantic, solitary master making sushi all by himself, David quickly discovered that without his dedicated team, Jiro's brilliant sushi could never exist. David learned that nobody makes it on their own. This is an account of his personal journey, starting as a one-man band making a single indie movie, to building an inspired and sustainable team that has produced over 50 hours of award-winning, premium content in just 5 years, and the lessons learned along the way.
.svg)
David Gelb is an Emmy and Grammy-nominated producer, director, and founding partner of Supper Club, a production company. Best known for his critically acclaimed documentary feature Jiro Dreams of Sushi, he is also the creator of the Netflix award-winning series Chef’s Table, now in its eighth season, which has won numerous James Beard Awards. He is also the co-creator of the Netflix series Street Food and an executive producer of Trial By Media.
Most recently, Gelb executive produced the Disney+ series Marvel’s 616 while also directing the first episode, which chronicled the creation of the “Japanese Spider-Man”. David is currently producing and directing the upcoming Disney+ feature documentary Wolfgang chronicling the life of world renowned celebrity chef, Wolfgang Puck, which will be released in 2021. He is also in development on the scripted feature film Consume with Searchlight Pictures. David has worked extensively in advertising, directing both short and long-form work for clients including Apple, Google, Chase, Bank of America, Chipotle, Mazda, and the Ford Motor Company.
David was born and raised in New York City, where he was immersed in the arts and journalism throughout his upbringing. His mother, Donna Gelb, is a food writer and recipe chef, and his father, Peter Gelb, is the General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera. His grandfather, Arthur Gelb, was the Managing Editor of the New York Times, and his grandmother, Barbara Gelb, was an accomplished writer and playwright.
David graduated from film school at the University of Southern California in 2006, and remained in California. David currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife Christine D’Souza Gelb, CEO of a new A24-backed management and production venture, and his young son Elliot Arthur Gelb.
My Speaker List
