Jeremy Whittaker is the visionary Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Grasshopper Entertainment, Inc., its subsidiaries Grasshopper Pictures and Grasshopper Music Entertainment, all based in Toronto.
As a multifaceted creative, Jeremy has worn many hats, including Director, Producer, and Co-Writer of the critically acclaimed feature film Destiny, a contemporary romantic drama set primarily in Jamaica with introductory scenes in Toronto. This cinematic masterpiece masterfully captures Jamaican culture and was the Opening Night Gala Film at the 2014 Reelworld Film Festival in Toronto. Jeremy's entrepreneurial spirit led him to independently release Destiny theatrically in the US, UK, and Jamaica, where it achieved remarkable success, topping the box office charts ahead of several Hollywood blockbusters and setting a record for the longest-running film in Jamaican history. The Gleaner, a leading Jamaican newspaper, has hailed Jeremy as an "emerging creative genius."
Jeremy's work on Destiny also extended to the realm of music, as he served as the Executive Producer of the Destiny: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. He collaborated with producers, coordinated with artists to record the 10-track original album, directed two music videos, and successfully negotiated a distribution deal with Tuff Gong International, a record label founded by Bob Marley, in partnership with Universal Music.
Jeremy's educational background is marked by a BA in Communications, Culture, and Information Technology (CCIT) from the University of Toronto, where he also completed a joint program with Sheridan College, earning a certificate in Digital Communications. During his university years, Jeremy gained valuable industry experience through internships at Universal Music Canada, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC),Discovery Channel (Canada),and Phase 3 Productions in Jamaica, where he was mentored by the late Richard "Pardy" Forbes.
Jeremy's early career credits include working as a Key Production Assistant (PA) on Sony Pictures' Jamaican cult classic, Shottas (2002),and his first TV production credit as a TV Producer for Smile Jamaica, Jamaica's top morning program, which aired live on Television Jamaica (TVJ),the country's number one free-to-air television station.
While in Jamaica, Jeremy co-founded Studio 45, a production studio in Kingston, where he produced Up Close, an in-depth interview with Vybz Kartel, as well as directed several music videos, including one that won the People's Choice Award for "Best Video of the Year - Dancehall" at the Excellence in Music and Entertainment (EME) Awards in 2010.
After returning to Canada in 2010, Jeremy joined the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) as an Assistant Director and worked on productions for various networks, including NBCUniversal, Warner Brothers, Amazon Prime, Sony Pictures, Disney, Hulu, and Netflix.
