Deep Down is a 1-hour documentary about mountaintop removal mining in Eastern Kentucky. In it, we follow one community as a coal mining company comes to town hoping to create a mine nearby, asking the question, "in a resource economy, who has the power?" The film received ITVS LINCS funding in partnership with KET. Co-Directed by Jen Gilomen & Sally Rubin, Executive Produced by David Sutherland (Country Boys, A Farmer's Wife).
The band "Excuses for Skipping" tries to be normal; you decide whether or not they succeed. This music video was created as part of Cinemasports, a contest in which film teams make videos start to finish in ten hours with three secret ingredients. Our ingredients for this piece were lipstick, a flame, and a constriction.
JenG discusses normality, Peoria, Illinois, and the song "Decision to be Normal" by Excuses for Skipping. Jen, along with Jessie, Dannie, and Julie from BAVC will be making a music video for Excuses for Skipping this weekend as part of Cinemasports.
Co-director, Deep Down, 2010 Feature length documentary and multimedia project. A community of neighbors in central Appalachia binds together to resist a coal company who wants to mine their land, as we examine the chain of power that produced this situation. (Co-directed by Sally Rubin; Official site: http://deepdownfilm.org)
National broadcast on PBS series Independent Lens
Emmy-nominated
U.S. State Department's American Documentary Showcase selection
100 community and festival screenings
Used in hundreds of university classrooms; distributed by New Day Films
Director and interactive producer, Family Time, 2010 In collaboration with the organization COLAGE, this project tracks the history of the queer family movement and its auspicious and exciting beginnings by young activists. The project includes a historical digital archive of photos, video clips, documents, and important moments in the history of this community.
Creative Work Fund project
Co-produced by COLAGE and used with national organization and local chapters / member groups
Co-director and Cinematographer, Mixed Use, November 2008 10:38 documentary; follows the life of a building that was used as Harvey Milk's Castro Camera store and political organizing headquarters.
Mix Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, November 2008
Director, Mocito Isla 7:00 documentary podcast; a family who lives on a small island in remote wetlands in Paraguay fights to keep tourists away from their land and protect not only their way of life, but the surrounding ecosystem (in Spanish and Guarani with English subtitles)
Co-director, Godspeed, June 2007 14:00 narrative; based on book by the same name, by Lynn Breedlove, leader of seminal punk band Tribe8 (distributed by Altcinema, official site http://godspeedfilm.com)
Frameline Film Festival, San Francisco, CA, June 2007
Outfest Film Festival, Los Angeles, CA, July 2007
Director, In My Shoes: Stories of Youth with LGBT Parents, 2005 31:40 documentary; five diverse and dynamic young people with LGBT parents share their stories of adoption, marriage, and what it means to be a family (produced by COLAGE Youth Leadership & Action Program ; distributed by Frameline Distribution )
National Queer Arts Festival, San Francisco, CA, 2006
DocuFest Atlanta, GA, 2006
ViewFinders International Film Festival for Youth, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2006
Brisbane Queer Film Festival, Brisbane, Australia, 2006
Alliance for Full Acceptance, Charleston, SC, 2006
Penn State LGBT Film Festival, PA, 2006
Wingspan Film Festival, Tucson, AZ, 2006
Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Melbourne, Australia, 2006
Mardi Gras Film Festival, Sydney, Australia, 2006
Rainbow Families of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 2006
National Gay & Lesbian Task Force Creating Change Conference, Oakland, 2005
National Council on Family Relations 67th Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ, 2005
Out Takes Festival, Dallas, TX, 2005
Breathing Different Air Film Festival, Charleston, SC, 2005
New York LGBT Center, New York, NY, 2005
Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, 2005
East Bay Pride, Parkway Theater, Oakland, CA, 2005
Boyle Heights Out and About Film Festival, Los Angeles, CA, 2005
Sacramento International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, Sacramento, CA, 2005
Families in the Desert, Palm Springs, CA, 2005
Great Lakes Independent Film Festival, Erie, PA, 2005 [Nominated - Best Doc.]
Oxnard Independent Film Festival, Oxnard, CA, 2005
Bay Area Video Coalition, San Francisco, CA, 2005
Rhode Island International Film Festival Providence, RI, 2005
Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Tampa, FL, 2005
The 10th Annual COLAGE Family Week, Provincetown, MA, 2005
COLAGE Family Week, Saugatuck, MI, 2005
Frameline's Out at the Center Series, San Francisco, CA, 2005
Frameline Film Festival, 2005, San Francisco, CA [Audience Award, Best Short]
Director, Queer Youth Speak, 2005 14:10 documentary; two queer youth respond and connect to an exhibit of queer history, wonder about the lives behind the objects, and contribute their own poetry to the voices of famous LGBT artists and poets from the past
San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival (Frameline), 2006
National tour of “Out at the Library” exhibit, 2006-2007
San Francisco Public Library, 2005
Co-director, Sigmund Freud: Professional Psychoanalyst, 2005 5:48 narrative; a day in the life of Freud, the hand puppet, who diagnoses well-known characters (Co-directed by Kami Chisholm)
Bloomington Pride Film Festival, Indiana, 2007
Chicago Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival, 2006
Milano International Lesbian & Gay Queer Film Festival, Italy, 2006
Mix Mexico, 2006
National Queer Arts Festival, 2006
San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, 2005
OutFest: The Los Angeles Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, 2005
BarceDona Lesbian Film Festival in Barcelona, Spain, 2005
Mix Brasil Film & Video Festival of Sexual Diversity, Sao Paolo, Brazil, 2005
Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney, Australia, 2005
Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, 2005
Out on Film in Atlanta, GA, 2005
Far Out Fest: Santa Cruz Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, 2005
Return to GRRRLVILLE: shorts by women, San Francisco, 2006
Co-director, Just Say It: A Revolution in the Making, 2004 35:45 documentary; political artists struggle to interpret and end the Iraq War (Co-directed by Jessica Dorfman)
Her Voice Her View Film Festival, New York, NY, 2006
Smogdance Festival, Los Angeles, CA, 2005
Film Arts Festival, San Francisco, CA, 2005
Director, Piece de Resistance, 2002 5:00 narrative; an erotic dark angel forces a young woman to confront her sexuality
Imaginaria Film Festival, Bologna, Italy, 2003
International Gay & Lesbian Television Film Festival, Auckland, New Zealand, 2003
Film Fatale Five Anniversary celebration, Santa Monica, CA, 2002 [Film Fatale Five Contest Winner]
Director, America Crossing, 2001 28:00 documentary; juxtaposed with the passing American landscape, American travelers discuss their fears as they travel by train in post-9-11 America
Chicago International Documentary Film Festival, March 2003
International Film & Video Competition, England, February 2003 [Gold Seal Award]
Director of Independent Media, Bay Area Video Coalition, 2009 - present
Developing and running innovative public media programs for documentary storytellers and transmedia artists
Partnerships with local, regional, and national organizations
Facilitation of trainings, development laboratories, showcase events, industry panels
Oversee operations of two local cable channels with multiple live television and web production sites, with corresponding web systems
Supervise program staff, collaborate across program areas
Lead Developer, Strategic Initiatives, Bay Area Video Coalition, 2007 - 2009
Developing strategic national initiatives in public media
Presenting and designing program ideas, analogies, and models
Researching and analyzing the Next Generation Internet and digital distribution networks
Forming strategic partnerships and collaborations
Digital Storytelling Institute Manager, Bay Area Video Coalition, January 2006 – June 2007
Traveling throughout the state of California to train nonprofits in the art and practice of telling stories with multimedia tools
Providing technical, editorial, and programmatic evaluations and assistance for participating organizations
Conducting program outreach activities, such as events, promotion, awards, partnerships, and distribution
Developing workshop models and curriculum
Supervising young filmmakers in the creation, distribution, and publicizing of short-format content on multiple platforms and devices
Managing program budget and instruction staff
Producer and instructor, Bay Area Video Coalition, April 2005 – December 2005
Instruction of YouthLink Digital Arts, a media and design program for underserved youth
Wrote curriculum for YouthLink programs
Created online job campaign tool myjobpath.org, including direction, production, and Internet delivery of over sixty short videos; user interface design work; information architecture; and content writing, editing, and management
Produced Queer Youth Speak video in conjunction with the San Francisco Public Library, and mentored youth in video production through the project
Communications manager, Bay Area Video Coalition, March 2001 – December 2005
Content management, writing, and editing for BAVC newsletter, Web site, and print materials
Redesigned, maintained, and programmed Web site; supervised Web staff and interns
Implemented online database and store for BAVC products, classes, and services
Managed advertising budget, ad placements, membership, and promotional sponsorships
Freelance new media specialist, Forward Films (self-owned company), San Francisco, CA, January 2001 - present
Writer, editor, and tour coordinator, San Francisco Public Library’s Out at the Library exhibit, 2005-2007
Freelance photography and writing, Girlfriends Magazine and Curve Magazine, 2004-2006
Editor, Treasures, Treasure Island Development Association, 2006
Web designer/producer, linesballet.org, colage.org, dianacage.com, galagostudio.com, presspasstotheworld.com, capecodfilms.com, colage.org/ylap
Videographer and Director of Photography, Tin Can Films’ Pre-nup, Breakthrough Collaborative, Contemporary Jewish Museum, and others, 2003- 2006
Director and youth mentor, In My Shoes: Stories of Youth with LGBT Parents, COLAGE, 2005
Instructor, basic video production workshops, 2003-2004
Information designer, NBC Internet, San Francisco, CA, March 2000 - January 2001
Web design, information architecture, and user interface planning and design for several NBCi Web sites, including NBC.com, NBCi.com, and Snap.com
Wrote and produced online documentation and instructional help
Usability specialist, NBC Internet, San Francisco, CA, December 1999 – March 2000
Planned and conducted usability studies, including focus groups and one-on-one evaluations
Delivered user interface recommendations based on user testing, feedback, and surveys
Research associate, p.s.l. marketing resources, San Francisco, CA, August 1999 – December 1999
Conducted qualitative research studies, subsequent analysis and reporting
Provided development recommendations to software and internet producers such as National Geographic and Mattel interactive divisions
Assistant engineer, Duke Engineering and Services, Chicago, IL and Atlanta, GA, Summer 1998
Designed and programmed software for use in evaluating structural beams
Traveled to Atlanta, GA to work on time-sensitive structural evaluation project
Creative copy writer, WPGU-FM Radio, Champaign, IL, 1997 - 1998
Wrote radio spots and anecdotal scripts for disc jockeys that were produced and aired
education
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: B.S. Civil Engineering, December 1998
San Francisco State University: multimedia studies coursework, 1999
U.C. Berkeley Extension: integrated marketing communications coursework, 1999
Bay Area Video Coalition and Film Arts Foundation: documentary coursework, 2001 – present