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Aaron Kaufman (1973 – October 17, 2024) was an American film producer and director. He made films with Robert Rodriguez at Troublemaker Studios and was also a partner working on movies with Rodriguez. Kaufman produced films which Rodriguez also directed including Machete (2010), Machete Kills (2013), and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014), the sequel to Sin City (2005). Kaufman was the executive producer for the dramas The Greatest and Powder Blue, as well as the romantic comedy Spread (all of the films were released in 2009), the crime thriller 13 (2010), and the comedies Chef (2014) and Flock of Dudes (2016).
Kaufman made his directorial debut with the drug thriller Urge (2016) and he produced and directed the documentary Crusaders: Ex Jehovah's Witnesses Speak Out (2021).
Early life
Kaufman was born on Long Island, New York in 1973.[1] Although his uncle, Peter, who worked as a doorman, was quite a cinephile and got him to fall in love with the movies, Aaron decided to pursue a career in entertainment at the age of 18, after he saw Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing: "It was like nothing i'd ever seen-the energy, the audience reaction. I was hooked".[2]
Through an agent, Kaufman met filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. He worked with Rodriguez for 6 years at Troublemaker Studios and Quick Draw Productions, developing and producing feature films. Kaufman produced films which Rodriguez directed including the exploitation action film Machete (2010) and its sequel Machete Kills (2013), both starring Danny Trejo as the title character, as well as the neo-noir crime film Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014), the sequel to the 2005 film Sin City.[2][3]
After his collaboration with Robert Rodriguez came to an end, Kaufman ventured into directing, his long-time passion, although he had nothing but great memories from his time as producer: "I loved it. But being a producer is like dating a girl you really like, but always dropping her off at someone else's house at the end of the night. Directors get to do the fun stuff ".[5] He made his feature directorial debut with the drug thriller Urge (2016), starring Justin Chatwin, Ashley Greene, Danny Masterson, and Pierce Brosnan, about a group of friends who experiment with a new drug which removes an individual's inhibitions causing them to indulge.[11][14] Released in the summer by Lionsgate Premiere,[15] it received negative reviews from critics; in her 1-star review, Christy Lemire of RogerEbert.com called Urge "a movie that’s as empty and unlikable as the characters themselves".[16]
Kaufman produced and directed the documentary Crusaders: Ex Jehovah's Witnesses Speak Out (2021), which brings to attention several cases of child sexual abuse and pedophilia discovered within the Jehovah's Witness organization.[1][17] It premiered on Vice TV on July 28.[18] In 2021 it was reported that Kaufman was set to direct Stealing Don Ho, a documentary about the late Hawaiian singer Don Ho.[17]
Kaufman married at the age of 21 and had his first child one year later.[3] He grew up a Jehovah's Witness but later left the faith.[1][17][18] At the time of his death, he had three children and was in a relationship with Don Ho's daughter, Kea.[21] He lived in New York City.[21]
Kaufman died from an apparent heart attack in Las Vegas on October 17, 2024, at the age of 51.[22][23][21]
