J.R. Heffelfinger

Founder & Executive Producer | Runaway Horses
Lecturer | University of Florida, College of Journalism & Communications

J.R. Heffelfinger is an acclaimed Webby and two-time Telly Award-winning filmmaker whose content has garnered over 250 million views on YouTube. Recognized by Variety as "an emerging talent" for his debut feature "Niji no Shita Ni" (2006), J.R.'s versatility spans documentary, commercial, and narrative storytelling.

His recent feature documentary, "8:15 Hiroshima | From Father to Daughter" (2021), won the Audience Award at the Nashville Film Festival and was theatrically distributed by Shin Nippon Films across Japan. The film was invited to screen during the G7 Summit hosted in Hiroshima in 2023. It began airing on PBS in August 2023 and is available on Amazon.

Runaway Horses, the story-driven production company J.R. leads, bridges connections between people, brands, causes, and culture. Focusing on authentic storytelling, Runaway Horses has produced compelling content for clients, including Disney, Facebook, HBO, Sephora, Avenues: The World School, Moderna, and Jazz Pharma.

In addition to his production work, J.R. is on the University of Florida College of Journalism & Communications faculty, where he nurtures and guides aspiring storytellers.