| Alma mater | Sarah Lawrence College American Film Institute |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Film producer |
| Birth date | January 2, 1963 (age 63) |
| Spouse | Lynn Harris (m. 2009) |
Matti Leshem is an Israeli-American film and TV producer.
Early life
Leshem was born to Jewish parents, Alyssa Leshem, a skincare specialist of Boca Raton and Moshe Leshem, an Israeli diplomat.[1] His father was also a Holocaust survivor and as a diplomat held missions in Zaire and Denmark.[1][2] His father also served as Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations. During this period, Leshem attended Ramaz School, a prestigious Modern Orthodox school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City.[3]
Leshem later earned a bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence College, and a master’s degree in directing from the American Film Institute.[1]
Career
Leshem is the co-founder of New Mandate Films, an American film and television production company focused on Jewish history and literature.[4]
In 2014, with his wife Lynn Harris, he co-founded Weimaraner Republic Pictures, a film, TV and digital production company.[5]
He was a producer on the Barry Levinson 2021 film, The Survivor, along with business partner and friend Joel Greenberg, who was an executive producer.[6]
Leshem created Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints, an eight-part docudrama TV series, with Martin Scorsese narrating the lives of eight Christian saints, and Leshem producing.[7]
Personal life
In 2009, Leshem, then a "marketing executive" married Lynn Harris, a film executive, at the Parker Palm Springs hotel in Palm Springs, California, with Rabbi Sharon Brous officiating.[1] In November 2023 in Los Angeles, they hosted a delegation of Israeli survivors of the October 7 attacks and the families of hostages.[8]
His cousin's two adult children were killed at the Nova music festival massacre in Israel.[8]
References
- ^ "Lynn Harris, Matti Leshem". The New York Times. 2009-04-04. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
- ^ Nechin, Etan (17 December 2024). How a Jewish-Israeli Producer Ended Up Working With Scorsese on a TV Show About Saints Haaretz. Retrieved on 9 December 2025
- ^ (26 November 2024). Israeli Producer Matti Leshem Teams Up with Martin Scorsese to Create “The Saints” on Fox Nation Jewish Journal. Retrieved on 9 December 2025
- ^ "Matti Leshem". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (2014-10-02). "Ex-WB Exec Lynn Harris Launches Weimaraner With Husband Matti Leshem". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
- ^ "'The Survivor': The long road to bring Harry Haft's story to the screen". The Jerusalem Post. 2022-04-28. ISSN 0792-822X. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
- ^ Lobell, Kylie Ora (2024-11-26). "Israeli Producer Matti Leshem Teams Up with Martin Scorsese to Create “The Saints” on Fox Nation". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
- ^ Goodyear, Dana (2023-11-11). "L.A. Hosts a Delegation of Survivors from Israel and Families of Hostages". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2025-01-18.