Biography
Jozef Gerard Lenders was born in 1957, an only child, to Pierre & Frances Lenders in Oirsbek, the Netherlands. The family moved to America in 1959. As a child Jozef started taking photographs in 1964 and shooting films on 8mm in 1968.
Jozef attended college in Miami studying broadcasting and began working as a radio personality on a variety of Miami area radio stations. In 1977 he became the house DJ at Scaramouche Disco, where Joe met many music and entertainment industry executives and performers. He rekindled his interest in filmmaking with newly developed video equipment, and started creating music videos and band demo tapes.
At Scaramouche met his wife Lora. After getting married, Joe started his first production company, 21st Century, producing travelogues and industrial films. From 1984 to 1989 Joe was the director of advertising at WFTX-TV (FOX). He founded VIDEX Corporation a film/video and animation production company in 1989. At VIDEX he worked on projects for ESPN, The Learning Channel, The Discovery Channel and PBS. Joe met Xavier Barquet and became Executive Producer and Editor for Barquet's "Bikini Beach Race" (AKA Sex Puppets) starring the late Dana Plato in 1992.
In 1997 Joe sold VIDEX Corporation to National Media Services, Inc. and Vice President of that company.While at National Media Services, Joe produced projects for Fortune 500 companies like Coca-Cola, VISA, Chrysler, Mcdonald's and Breyers Ice Cream. He also met Rhonda Toppel of Topline Cinema, Inc. the director of "Chill Out" an indie film. National Media provided finishing services for "Chill Out". It was not until 2004 after Joe left National Media that "Chill Out" was completed at Joe's new venture 1Pro Media, Inc.
After completing "Chill Out" Joe decided to shoot his own indie film. Written in 1997, "Terror Inside" had spent years waiting funds for production. In 2007, the project finally went into production by Joe's company Gulfcoast Film Partners and was finished in 2008. After a year in the festival circuit, "Terror Inside" was picked up for North American Distribution in early 2010, and subsequently released on June 15, 2010 direct to DVD.
Joe remains active as a filmmaker producing numerous award winning documentaries and programs for television on topics from impaired driving to child fire safety. He produced an award winning documentary "Harry Beeman - The True Story of an American WWII Hero" in 2012 and was executive producer of "No Way Out" in 2013.
Joe Lenders has brought many new young people into film when he taught high school filmmaking from 2011-2013 part time. His seminars on the business of filmmaking bring even more filmmakers the knowledge to advance their dreams.
More projects are always on the table, and Joe Lenders continues to work as a filmmaker and writer.
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