Tragic news. Jeff Baena has died. The screenwriter and film director is best known for Lie.g. To Beth (2014), Joshy (2016), The little hours (2017), Horse girl (2020), Turn me around (2022) and to take notes I love Huckabees (2004). He is also husband of actress and producer Aubrey Plaza and they have been married since 2021.

The circumstances of his death are currently unclear and we will update the post as more becomes available. After graduating from NYU Film School, Baena moved to Los Angeles to begin building his career. He became a production assistant for Robert Zemeckis and worked on a number of films, followed by a position as assistant editor for writer-director David O. Russell.

Baena may be known for co-writing I love Huckabees which was nominated for the Gotham Award for Best Feature Film in 2004. In 2014 he made his directorial debut with Life after Beth whatever he wrote. The film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize and subsequently released by A24. Next he wrote and directed Joshy which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize following a Lionsgate release. Baena wrote and directed The little hours which was nominated for the Audience Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2017 and was also released in cinemas. In 2020, Baena co-wrote, directed and produced Horse girl which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was released on Netflix shortly after. He wrote, directed and also produced Turn me around which premiered at the 2022 South by Southwest Film Festival and was released by IFC Films.

On television, Baena created, wrote, directed and produced the Showtime series. Cinema toast.

Baena is survived by wife Aubrey Plaza, mother Barbara Stern and stepfather Roger Stern, father Scott Baena and stepmother Michele Baena, brother Brad Baena, and stepsister and stepbrother Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman.

The family is devastated and requests privacy during this difficult time.