Beloved production industry veteran Jonathan Schwartz passes away
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Having spent several colourful and highly productive decades in advertising production, Schwartz was well known throughout the industry and trusted by many of its giants including virtually every major advertising agency and dozens of the world’s most iconic brands.
New York advertising and film production executive Jonathan Schwartz, 58, Managing Director at Washington Square Films (WSF), has died.
Raised in Chappaqua, NY, and a longtime resident of Fairfield, CT, Schwartz is survived by his wife, Mara, their twins, Matthew and Alissa, his sister Stefanie, and his half siblings Daniel, Rachel, and Rebecca. Jonathan passed away peacefully on May 17, 2025 surrounded by family and loved ones.
Having spent several colourful and highly productive decades in advertising production, Schwartz was well known throughout the industry and trusted by many of its giants including virtually every major advertising agency and dozens of the world’s most iconic brands.
A devoted husband and father, parenting his twins with his wife Mara brought Jonathan great happiness. Among his proudest moments was recently watching his daughter graduate Magna Cum Laude from Ithaca College. Professionally, Jonathan brought many creative projects to life on the small screen, winning the advertising industry’s top honors, from Cannes Lions to Clios. Jonathan was himself a gifted storyteller, known for regaling associates on set and close family at home with hilarious tales of growing up in suburbia and his days as a young punk rock enthusiast in the city. While on the road, he never missed an opportunity to catch a live show with colleagues and clients.
Passionate about achieving excellence in production, Jonathan rose from a series of modest early jobs to become Managing Director at one of independent film’s best-known companies, Washington Square Films, located on the Bowery in Manhattan. A valued colleague and dear friend of WSF Founder Joshua Blum, he initiated and grew the acclaimed global commercial production division of the company. Under his longstanding leadership, the division represents a roster of award-winning directors and has produced work for clients including Pepsi, Ford, Apple, Toyota, Disney, Bose, Amazon, Honda, Delta, Progressive, Meta, Spectrum and many others. His legacy in advertising will be carried forward by the team at WSF, including partner and executive producer Han West, who began as a freelance producer for Jonathan seven years ago and spent the last three years under his full time mentorship.
A born devotee of cinema, Schwartz never missed a chance to tout WSF’s acclaimed feature films, which recently include Pedro Almodovar’s The Room Next Door starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and produced in New York by Washington Square Films, and Crown Heights, winner of a Sundance Audience Award and an Independent Spirit Award.
In recent years, Schwartz turned personal misfortune into a chance to tell a candid and raw story with the aim of helping others. His memoir, F*ck Cancer, is a darkly humorous and emotionally raw memoir of his journey battling non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The book chronicles Schwartz's personal and professional life, behind-the-scenes insights into commercial shoots, and his courageous battle with stage four cancer – all told with his trademark punk-rock edge and irreverence. Schwartz credits his wife Mara with being his “rock” throughout this difficult experience.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research. A memorial website for industry colleagues has also been set up here.
Washington Square Films will host a virtual and in-person memorial at their New York offices on Friday, June 6th. Details are included in the link above.
