Jason Eisener

Jason Eisener (born 1982) is a Canadian director, screenwriter, producer, and editor from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He is best known as the co-creator, executive producer, and director of the critically acclaimed documentary series Dark Side of the Ring (2019–present), and for directing the cult feature film Hobo with a Shotgun (2011).

Jason Eisener
Eisener on set
Born	1982 (age 42–43) Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Occupation(s)	Film director, producer, screenwriter, editor
Years active	2007–present

Early life

Eisener was born in Halifax and raised in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He developed an early interest in genre cinema, particularly horror and exploitation films, which influenced his later work. Eisener studied film at the Nova Scotia Community College, where he honed his skills in filmmaking and storytelling.

Career

Early shorts and breakthrough

Eisener first gained attention in 2007 when he won the Grindhouse fake trailer contest, a promotion by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, with his entry Hobo with a Shotgun. The short became a viral hit and was later expanded into a feature film.

In 2008, he directed Treevenge, a dark comedy about Christmas trees taking revenge on humans. The short won awards at the Sundance Film Festival and other festivals.^[1]

He went on to contribute anthology segments to The ABCs of Death (2012) and V/H/S/2 (2013). Eisener also created the viral horror short One Last Dive (2013), set entirely underwater.^[2]

Feature films

In 2011, Eisener directed the feature-length version of Hobo with a Shotgun, starring Rutger Hauer.^[3]

His second feature, the sci-fi horror adventure Kids vs. Aliens (2022), premiered at Fantastic Fest before a wider release.^[4]

Documentary and television work

Eisener is the co-creator, executive producer, and director of Dark Side of the Ring, which became Vice TV’s flagship series. Now six seasons in, the critically acclaimed documentary has won a Canadian Screen Award and inspired spin-offs including Dark Side of the ’90s, Dark Side of Comedy, and Dark Side of the Cage.^[5]

He also co-created Tales from the Territories (2022), executive produced by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia.^[6]

In 2024, he co-created Who Killed WCW?, which premiered as the biggest series launch in Vice TV history.^[7]

Most recently, Eisener co-created the Hulu docuseries Into the Void, a multi-part exploration of heavy metal musicians and their cultural impact.

Style and themes

Eisener’s work often blends gore, satire, and nostalgia, drawing heavily on grindhouse, exploitation, and cult cinema. His films are noted for bold visual style, practical effects, and darkly comedic tone.

Filmography

Feature films

• Hobo with a Shotgun (2011) – Director^[3]
• Kids vs. Aliens (2022) – Director, Co-writer^[4]

Short films

• Hobo with a Shotgun (2007, trailer) – Director^[1]
• Treevenge (2008) – Director, Co-writer^[1]
• One Last Dive (2013) – Director^[2]

Anthology segments

• The ABCs of Death (2012, “Y is for Youngbuck”) – Director^[1]
• V/H/S/2 (2013, “Slumber Party Alien Abduction”) – Director^[1]

Television

• Dark Side of the Ring (2019–present) – Co-creator, Director, Executive Producer^[5]
• Tales from the Territories (2022) – Co-creator^[6]
• Who Killed WCW? (2024) – Co-creator^[7]
• Into the Void (2025) – Co-creator^[1]

Other work

• Death Note (2017) – Second Unit Director^[1]

Awards and nominations

• Canadian Screen Award: Who Killed WCW? (2025) – Nominee, Best Factual Series^[7]

Personal life

Jason Eisener splits his time between Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and Los Angeles, California.