Gary Lester

Gary Lester holds an associate of science degree in photography from Daytona Beach Community College and a bachelor's degree in professional photography from the University of Central Florida. In addition to completing a number of graduate courses in Motion Picture Production at Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Gary has also earned a Visual Arts graduate credential from Harvard. Gary's film debut as an actor occurred in 2001 when he appeared in Flamingo Rising on the Hallmark Hall of Fame. Gary's extensive list of documentary films includes Eyewitness to History, a World War II documentary featuring Armin Lehmann, who was one of the last surviving members of Hitler's bunker. This film won Best Documentary at the Daytona Beach Film Festival and has screened throughout the world, including a major film festival in Busan, South Korea and the Non-Violence International Film Festival in Ontario, Canada. In 2009, Gary released his blockbuster Holocaust film - Safe Haven: The Warsaw Zoo, which had its world premiere on August 8, 2009 in Hollywood, California. It captured an unprecedented seven Crystal Reel Awards from the Florida Motion Picture & Television Association. For nine consecutive years, the film was broadcast on Israel 10 Television on National Remembrance Day throughout Israel. In June, 2010, Safe Haven received the prestigious Best Documentary Short from the Los Angeles Cinema of Hollywood Festival. In 2011, it received the Best Documentary Award from the GIAA Film Festival in Manhattan. From 2009-2011, Gary worked as second unit director and assistant director for legendary producer/director Ted V. Mikels in his final two Astro-Zombies sequels, Astro-Zombies M3: Cloned and Astro-Zombies M4: Invaders From Cyberspace. In 2012, Gary worked as second unit director for a Spanish horror production - Corpse-Grinders 3. In 2019, Gary released Taking Hollywood By Storm, a feature-length documentary starring Bob Weatherwax, the owner and trainer of Lassie.