Trenton filmmaker, Jeff Stewart, guides us through his journey and his plans for local creatives

As a man who wears many hats, I can confidently say Jeff Stewart makes us all look dull. Stewart, whose accolades include director, screenwriter, photographer, radio show co-host, educator, and more, carries a witty bravado like no other. 

As he jokingly stated in his demo reel from 2013, for the “imbeciles” who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him, Stewart is a director and producer known for films and TV shows like Velocity (2015) and The Velvet Elvis (2012). 

He is also a co-host on the Film Blerds podcast, created alongside long-time friend, Brandon Norwood. 

Stewart’s latest and upcoming directorial debut is a drama and crime film titled, Saint Michael of the City. This film, also co-written by Stewart, follows an ex-criminal who returns home for a chance at salvation and possibly revenge. Its premiere will be held at the Garden State Film Festival this March in Asbury Park and Cranford New Jersey.

Born and raised in Trenton on South Walter Avenue, Stewart affectionately recalls his childhood memories. He spoke highly of his crafty mother, who he described to be a mixed-use artist, and his film-head father, who would pass down his newly bought video cameras to him. Stewart attended private school in Princeton, New Jersey, and although he had highly supportive parents who valued his dreams and education, he shockingly described his younger self as subdued. “I didn’t really have many friends because of anxiety,” he explained. He expressed that his comfort in social settings was parallel to his familiarity with strangers, and while this impacted his social life, he learned to be an observer and his camera became his third eye.

“I would just lay in the cut with my video camera and I would just capture things…capture life.” 

When questioned which creative field was his first love, Stewart explained, “I guess my first love [and] I didn’t realize I was in love with it, was movies…or more granular, telling stories with pictures, because even as a photographer, your goal is to try to tell a story in one image. So filmmaking is sort of a necessary evolution of that…you’re telling a story in many different pictures.” 

Stewart attended New York University and Temple University to pursue Creative Writing and Film degrees. As a student, Stewart dabbled in everything, finding that screenwriting came easiest to him. 

Stewart’s podcast Film Blerds, which dives deep into the intricate world of cinema and pop culture, is a podcast that explores provocative ideas and unique perspectives. The podcast was a result of Stewart’s and Norwood’s love of movies. One day, these cinema buddies agreed to create a single episode about Zack Snyder’s Justice League cut, and the rest became history. Norwood and Stewart both have a distinctive blend of enthusiasm and expertise, which makes their podcast an engaging experiences for film lovers.

As a producer, Stewart co-founded the production company, Different Path Films with friend Chris Kaczor and he has gone on to produce several TV shows and films, such as Live in Waiting (2021) and Into the Gray (2020). The most recent is The Bastard Sons, which is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. This must-watch thriller is centered around revenge-seeking small-town gangsters who want to avenge their boss’ untimely death. 

“When you’re making movies [or] trying to do a series, you always want to have a brand,” he explained. “I’m very big on brands— because when people buy art, they are buying the person as well.”

When Stewart initially stepped onto the scene he made sure to get involved in various projects that would allow him to network and foster a community of filmmakers and artists. However, this meant that Stewart often found himself spread too thin and was given a piece of advice from his long-time friend and collaborator, actor Kevin Interdonato. “He gave me some advice that Tyler Perry had initially given him,” which was to “focus on one thing, and do it really well.” 

Stewart, in his stubbornness, replied that it took him time to think about it, and one thing he’s been focused on since, is his success. 

For Stewart, dropping all of his passions was not necessarily the answer, but optimizing and prioritizing his time was. By doing so, this has significantly impacted his goals. He acknowledged his shift toward a more regimented schedule, dedicating specific days to writing, podcasting, and other pursuits while recognizing the importance of concentrating his efforts on better results. He even explained how the pandemic, with its enforced isolation, allowed him to reflect and prioritize creative projects, highlighting that it benefited many artists, helping them to build careers.

When asked what draws him to specific projects or films, Stewart expressed that much of it is honoring the relationships built over the years with other filmmakers and creatives; when they ask, he’s happy to oblige. On the other hand, specific projects just simply have to “push the needle.” 

“I have to see that you see a bigger goal,” he explained. 

Stewart expresses that the local art scene in Trenton has a bit of growing to do. While acknowledging the abundance of talent in the capital city, he believes that with more support from the city’s government, artists can get the support and infrastructure they need to grow and provide opportunities for national exposure. He emphasized that there seems to be some untapped potential at the moment on the city’s part. 

In his own way of giving back to future artists, Stewart is, among many things, an educator, supporting and teaching students at the Sprout U School of the Arts about the technical world of screenwriting and filmmaking. Occasionally holding guest spots at Rider University or Mercer County College, Stewart enthusiastically states that his talents are “here for the world.”  “I love teaching, I honestly do…well, teaching my subjects screenwriting and film. Don’t ask me about math,” he jokes.

When it comes to his future goals and success, Stewart expresses he will never feel like he’s “made it,” nor would he want to, because that would mean stunting his growth as a creative. The filmmaker aspires to open his own film studio in the capital city, dedicated to filmmaking and providing local content creators opportunities to enhance their skills. Looking ahead, Stewart is grateful for the opportunity to do what he loves, because, “Movies are the closet thing we have to magic.”