born in Honolulu, raised in bremerton Washington. Leland’s father was a poor Hawaiian kid with an absentee father from oklahoma and a hawaiian mom who worked as a housekeeper at the hilton hotel for high profile guests while he would dream of a better life. Leland’s mother was the daughter of a jewish immigrant father from cuba by way of germany and a scotch irish mother who traced her journey to america to the original european settlers who fled england to avoid religious persecution. When leland was two years old, his parents moved to the mainland to escape the cycle of poverty and drugs that had torn through the hawaiian culture. His father worked as a sheet metal mechanic for thirty years for the department of defense and his mother was a journalist and teacher of the dramatic arts.
a graduate of Washington state university, Leland studied film, television and radio and became enamored with the art of story telling. Moving t0 new york city in 2006, he began as an administrative assistant at one of the biggest ad agencies in the world, J. Walter thompson (NOW KNOWN AS Wunderman THOMPSON) where he managed expenses, talent contracts and became well known as a resource for his deep knowledge of cinema. When the financial collapse of 2008 happened, he was laid off and decided to pursue a larger role in film.
starting as an art director for nyu students’ short films he found his passion as an editor on the film ‘the moment i died,’ starring otto sanchez (Oz). He then spent two years shooting and editing a feature film about refugees from iraq ‘The Wind of al amal’ for french director frederic lean. The film Was made in cooperation with various ngos, including unhcr and the international rescue committee and featured interviews with noam chomsky, heather raffo, patrick cockburn and many voices who spoke of the disaster of international American intervention.
While working days as a camera technician at hand held films, he began freelancing as both a cinematographer and editor. His first film as dp and editor was ‘The fix,’ a feature documentary about individuals in recovery from heroin addiction who were also being treated for hepatitis c while learning how to speak about their trauma with guidance by the celebrated collective ‘The Moth.’ That film played numerous film festivals including afi docs, full frame, and won best documentary at the soho film festival.
After working for several years as a freelance cinematographer and editor documenting new york artists (including maria kreyn, christopher pugliese and yigal ozeri) as well as being a fashion cinematographer for yahoo! He then began as an editor for celebrated brand studio lonelyleap. Clients included google, tumi, tylenol, bp.
In 2015 he was brought on as the lead editor for cnn’s new brand studio courageous where he worked for seven years creating award winning brand campaigns that touched social, linear and experiencial. Clients included gm, chevy, sony, hulu, genesis, invesco, subaru, bmw, and many more.
After being laid off in the wake of the merger of discovery and Warner, HE MOVED FULL TIME TO EDITING AND PRODUCING feature documentaries.
‘On the way home,’ a film about georgian refugees squatting in abandoned soviet sanatoriums was selected by slamdance, big sky, full frame, LA DOC FEST AND MORE. At full frame, It won the prestigious charles e. Guggenheim emerging artist award. THE FILM Won best editing at the LA DOC FESTIVAL.
‘Black girls,’ a film about black female identity in america, which premiered at Tribeca X and is available on PEACOCK.
Leland also is the head of video an co-writer for ‘the martin monster show,’ a monthly live immersive film experience at industry city.
He has a daughter who is a constant source of inspiration.