Justin Travis Hunt (born September 16, 1976) is an American documentary filmmaker whose films include ''American Meth'' (2007), ''Absent'' (2010), and ''The Speed of Orange'' (2012).

Early life

He was born in

Grand Junction, Colorado Grand Junction is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 65,560 at the 2020 United States Census, making Grand Junction the 17th mos ...

, where his father, Glen Hunt, was a jockey, and his mother, Linda, was a race horse trainer. Hunt was a television news anchor and reporter, primarily in New Mexico, in the late '90s and early 2000s.In 2003 , he left a successful career in broadcasting to begin his production company, Time & Tide Productions, Inc.

Filmmaking

Since 2003, Time & Tide Productions has turned out hundreds of video projects, most notably ''James & Erniefied'' (2004), a documentary-style production of Navajo comedians James Junes and Ernest Tsosie III, ''The Meth Monster'' (2004), ''American Meth'' (2007), ''Absent'' (2010), and ''The Speed of Orange'' (2012). Hunt also founded the American Meth Education Foundation.

''American Meth''

His first feature was ''American Meth'' (2007). This documentary narrated by

Val Kilmer Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer found fame after appearances in comedy films, starting with ''Top Secret!'' (1984) and ''Real Genius'' (1985), as well as the military action film ...

looked at the effects of the drug

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamph ...

on American culture and on an American family. The film was picked up for distribution by Rivercoast Film Distribution. Sound on Sight found it shocking but educational. Hunt toured the film, including free screenings for high school students. It won the 2011 CPDD/NIDA Media Award from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, Best Documentary at the Cinema City International Film Festival at Universal Studios and the TriMedia Film Festival (2007) and the Most Socially Engaging Film at the Eugene International Film Festival (2007).

''Absent''

''Absent'' (2012) focused on what it was like for children growing up with an absent father. The film includes musician

James Hetfield James Alan Hetfield (born August 3, 1963) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, co-founder and a main songwriter of heavy metal band Metallica. He is mainly known for his intricate rhythm playing, but occasionall ...

talking about his experiences growing up. The film also features boxer

Johnny Tapia John Lee Anthony Tapia (February 13, 1967 – May 27, 2012) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2011. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the unified IBF and WBO super flyweight title ...

and Christian authors

John Eldredge John Eldredge (born June 6, 1960 in Los Angeles) is an American author, counselor, and lecturer on Christianity. He is known for his best-selling book '' Wild at Heart''. Life and work Eldregde received his undergraduate degree in theater from ...

and

Richard Rohr Richard Rohr, (born 1943) is an American Franciscan priest and writer on spirituality based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church in 1970. In 2011, PBS called him "one of the most popular sp ...

''The Speed of Orange''

His next film was about his parents' career in horse racing.

''Cardboard Butterfly: The Human Struggle with Porn''

Hunt's latest movie project deals with the omnipresence and impact of

pornography addiction Pornography addiction is the controversial application of an addiction model to the use of pornography. Pornography may be part of compulsive sexual behavior with negative consequences to one's physical, mental, social, or financial well-being. Wh ...

. Hunt has stated that it will be his last documentary.

Personal life

Hunt is married to Desiree Hunt, originally from South Africa, and is the father of three children; a son, Lantz, born in 2000, a daughter, Carolyn Abbey, born in 2003, and a daughter, Madison, born in 2013. He resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado where he oversees his production company, Time & Tide Productions, Incorporated.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, Justin 1976 births Living people American documentary filmmakers People from Grand Junction, Colorado