Jason Bortz(I)

Jason Bortz began acting at age 7, wrote his first play at 11, and booked his first commercial at 12. After attending college in Eugene, Oregon, he trained in Seattle with "The Film School's" John Jacobsen. Jason was a member of the Seattle Cinema Co-Op, pursuing filmmaking both on and off camera in commercials and films while regularly performing onstage. He moved to New York to train at the National Shakespeare Conservatory before heading to Los Angeles, where he became a member of the Shakespeare and Friends Foundation, performing in "at risk" inner city schools for audiences never before exposed to live theatre.

Jason was a founding member of the Capital Film Arts Alliance in Sacramento, has served as a guest screenwriting instructor for The Learning Exchange and coached acting for El Dorado Musical Theatre, The Cast Images Agency, Tamraloo Studios, The Art Institute of Sacramento, the Sacramento Film and Music Festival and was co-founder of Stand Out Talent, an award winning theatre and media arts company lauded by Roseville/Granite Bay Style Magazine's "Best of the Best", the KCRA TV "A" List, and Sacramento Magazine. Jason also launched the Roseville Film and Animation Festival, hosting industry artists from companies such as Marvel and Warner Brothers.

Jason has been honored with several awards since moving to the Sacramento region, including Sacramento News and Review's "Best Local Actor," and Sacramento Film and Music Festival's "Best Documentary" for a film shot in Africa. He received A Place Called Sacramento's "Best Overall Film" award for directing the short film "Hope", and honored with a "Best Actor" Award from the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance. Jason typically divides his professional time between performing, directing, writing scripts and coaching.