Matti Leshem is the Co-founder of New Mandate Films, a film and television production company created to mine the rich depth of Jewish history, literature, and stories from the Bible to the present day. New Mandate’s first feature film, The Survivor, directed by Academy Award winner Barry Levinson (Wise Guys [upcoming], Rain Man, Diner), debuted in North America on HBO on Yom Hashoah, April 27th, 2022, and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie, a Critics Choice award, and won a Hollywood Critics Association award. The film chronicles the story of Harry Haft, who survives Auschwitz by being forced to box his fellow prisoners to the death by a Nazi officer. Haunted by the memories and guilt over the price of survival, Haft attempts to use a high-profile boxing match against Rocky Marciano to find the woman he fell in love with before the war. He most recently produced his first feature documentary film, The Commandant’s Shadow, directed by Daniela Völker, which tells the amazing story of Rudolf Höss, the Commandant of Auschwitz, who was personally responsible for systematically murdering 1.3 million people.
As the Co-founder of Weimaraner Republic Pictures (WRPCO), Leshem is currently executive producing Martin Scorsese Present’s THE SAINTS for FOX NATION, alongside Entrainment One and Lionsgate Alternative Television. Leshem created the document-series which dramatizes the stories of eight saints, including Joan of Arc, John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, Francis of Assisi, and Thomas Becket. In 2016, WRPCO produced the global hit The Shallows for Sony Pictures, which grossed over $128 million worldwide. King Richard, starring Will Smith (Suicide Squad, I Am Legend), was released by Warner Bros. to critical acclaim in November of 2021, and nominated for six Academy Awards. Most recently, WRPCO produced Hocus Pocus 2, the sequel to the beloved 1993 film, which premiered on September 20th, 2022, and was the most-watched film debut on Disney+.
Prior to founding these two entertainment companies, Leshem founded Protagonist, a brand strategy company that created multiplatform brand-defining experiences for high-profile companies including Pepsi, Weight Watchers, Newscorp, and Living Proof, among others. Additionally, Leshem created Diplomatic, a multi-faceted production company where he served as an executive producer on ESPN’s 2-Minute Drill, USA Network’s Smush, and the A&E documentary series Ultimate Reality. Leshem also launched and ran Barry Diller’s WAMI-TV (USA Broadcasting), where he oversaw the creation of more than 40 hours of original programming each week.
Leshem graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a BA and holds an MFA in Film Directing from the American Film Institute (AFI). He previously served on the board of American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic (AFIPO).
Matti Leshem 