About the filmmaker
Jaren Leiken, currently 20, was a student at University School in Cleveland, Ohio when he made Project Turtle between 2020 and 2021. The film was selected for the Cleveland International Film Festival in 2022 and shown in Cleveland’s Playhouse Square. Jaren’s interest in filmmaking and the power of film to bring about positive change in the world began by watching movies and documentaries with his dad.
In the summer of 2020, Jaren participated in a four-week immersive course in filmmaking at the New York Film Academy, studying directing, screenwriting, cinematography, and other aspects of professional filmmaking. Jaren is a student volunteer at the Cleveland International Film Festival where he participates in the review and selection of films for inclusion in the festival. As a junior, Jaren studied in University School’s full-year, elective Film Studies course.
Jaren’s interest in social justice was first sparked by his devotion to Cleveland sports teams, which give back to the community in Cleveland in many ways off the court and field. Jaren served as a volunteer for the Cavaliers Community Foundation, passing out Thanksgiving meals for families in need alongside some of his Cavs heroes. Jaren also volunteered with the Corey Kluber Foundation which provides funding needs for sick children and their families in Cleveland-area hospitals. Through this work, Jaren learned how a community can solve problems by coming together for those in need, and by shining a spotlight on obstacles that are not well understood and which require work and attention to overcome.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the need for action, leading Jaren to combine his interests in social justice and filmmaking into Project Turtle: a student documentary to help young people understand the American homelessness crisis.
Jaren founded the University School Law & Society Club, which gathers students interested in learning about how the law can bring about positive change in society. Each month, guest speakers including civil rights lawyers, judges, prosecutors and other advocates meet with the students. The discussions focus on the law as a catalyst and pathway to create a more just world.
In addition to his passions for filmmaking and social justice/positive change, Jaren was a member of the University School varsity hockey team and a participant in the Anderson Scholars Program in Entrepreneurship, which teaches young people how to bring innovation from idea to reality.
Jaren currently attends The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business as a Morrill Scholar, OSU’s premier diversity/merit scholarship program for students engaged in diversity-based leadership, service and social justice activities. Jaren is pursuing a B.S. in Finance with minors in Entrepreneurship and Political Science, and dreams of a career in business that helps people and communities solve real-life problems through innovation and creativity.