Pete Lee

“Pete Lee has never been known to stay in one lane. He’s a writer and director; his short film Don’t Be a Hero premiered as an official selection at 2018’s Sun- dance Film Festival. He makes stylish, athletic music videos (for The Coup, At- mosphere and Aesop Rock, among others). He’s also a food photographer, a life- long kung fu aficionado, an outspoken advocate for immigrants and homeless folks, and an erstwhile musician-slash-standup-comedian who likes to cover Mariah Carey.

But the most accurate word for Lee, really, is ringleader: wherever he goes, inter- esting people follow. You only need one glimpse of the Taiwan-born, Boston suburb-raised 36-year-old giving direction on a film set—or making jokes and bossing his friends-turned-sous-chefs around in his tiny kitchen in the Mission District as he cooks dinner for a packed house of local artists, writers and musi- cians—to understand you’re dealing with someone special.” -Emma Silvers/ KQED