Gideon raff biography

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Gideon "Gidi" Raff is an Israeli film and television director, screenwriter and writer. He is best known for the award-winning 2010 Israeli television drama series "Prisoners of War" (which he created, wrote and directed) and its acclaimed US adaptation, "Homeland" (for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards in 2012).

After serving three years as a paratrooper in the Israeli army, he completed a degree in Film at Tel Aviv University. For a year or so, during the dot-com bubble, he was responsible for content at a start-up, and wrote a weekly column in Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv about his experiences. The columns were collected into a book, "Diary of a Start-Upper On The Way To Mecca."

Having moved to Los Angeles in 2003, Raff completed a graduate degree in directing at the American Film Institute. His graduation short film "The Babysitter" premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. On the strength of this, director Doug Liman hired him as director's assistant on the 2005 film "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," which starred Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Raff made his feature-length directorial debut in 2007 with "The Killing Floor," a psychological thriller (which he also co-wrote and co-produced). His second feature was the horror film "Train," starring Thora Birch, in 2008. Raff returned home to Israel for the production of "Prisoners of War," a television drama series which he created, wrote and directed. The series became Israel's highest-rated drama of all time and went on to win several Israeli television awards.

Even before filming of "Prisoners of War" began, the rights to develop an American version of the series had been sold to 20th Century Fox Television based on the strength of the script alone. This resulted in the acclaimed series "Homeland," developed by former 24 producers and writers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa in cooperation with Raff, and broadcast on cable channel Showtime in the autumn of 2011. In addition to translating the

Biography

Gideon "Gidi" Raff (born 10 September 1972) is an Israeli film and television director, screenwriter, and writer. He is best known for his creation of the Channel 2 thriller drama series Prisoners of War, from which he later co-developed the American version of the series, Homeland.

Raff made his feature-length directorial debut in 2007 with The Killing Floor, a psychological thriller (which he also co-wrote and co-produced; the film's executive producers were Doug Liman and Avi Arad).

His second feature was released in 2008—a horror film, Train, starring Thora Birch.

2009 saw Raff return home for the production of Prisoners of War, an Israeli television drama series that he created, wrote, and directed. 

Filming began in August 2009, and the show was broadcast in Israel in the spring of 2010. The series became the country's highest-rated drama of all time and went on to win several Israeli television awards.

In November 2013 Raff and Heroes creator Tim Kring finalized a six-episode deal with USA Network for Dig, an archaeological thriller about an American FBI agent stationed in Jerusalem. The TV series premiered in late 2014. S.J. Clarkson directed the pilot episode.

In 2017, it was announced that Raff would write and direct The Spy about the life of Eli Cohen. The series aired on Canal+ in France and streamed on Netflix internationally.

His Netflix film The Red Sea Diving Resort was released on 31 July 2019.

Israeli film director

Gideon "Gidi" Raff (Hebrew: גדעון "גידי" רף; born 10 September 1972) is an Israeli film and television director, screenwriter, and writer. He is best known for his creation of the Channel 2 thriller drama series Prisoners of War, from which he later co-developed the American version of the series, Homeland.

Early life

Raff was born in Jerusalem, to a Jewish family. His father is Eitan Raff, who served as Accountant General in the Israeli Ministry of Finance, was Chairman of the Board of Bank Leumi and, as of August 2017, was under criminal investigation for having aided US customers in tax evasion.

From the ages of two to six he lived in Washington, D.C., where his father was Economic Adviser to the Israeli Embassy.

After serving three years as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces, he completed a degree in film at Tel Aviv University.

Raff then worked in IT. For a year or so, during the dot-com bubble, he was responsible for content at a startup company, and wrote a weekly column in Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv about his experiences. The columns were collected into a book titled Diary of a Start-Upper on the Way to the Hit (Exit) (Keter, 2001).

Film and television career

Raff moved to Los Angeles and, in 2003, completed a graduate degree in directing at the American Film Institute. His graduation short film The Babysitter premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, following which director Doug Liman hired him as director's assistant on the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which starred Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Raff made his feature-length directorial debut in 2007 with The Killing Floor, a psychological thriller (which he also co-wrote and co-produced; the film's executive producers were Dou