Jen Chaiken

After taking beloved time with my kids and family, sabbaticaling meaningfully, and mustering my way through mysterious and exhausting health challenges that kept me from my work, I'm finally back and couldn't be happier about it!

Surprisingly I find myself working on a feature documentary again. Ten years after closing the door to producing, I was so inspired by a project a dear friend was working on, that I couldn't help but get involved. It's under wraps for now, but stay tuned!

Prior, I consulted for Sundance Institute and Women In Film, ideating how they could fight for gender inequality behind the camera in film and television. I wrote a thought piece called Defining A Movement to contemplate systemic change possibilities and worked closely with USC Annenberg social scientist Stacy Smith shaping the study Exploring the Careers of Female Directors. My work culminated in producing an exploratory convening of top executives from all industry sectors, out of which the initiative ReFrame was born and launched.

Prior to consulting, with my then producer partner, Sebastian Dungan, I produced Joey Soloway’s feature directorial debut, AFTERNOON DELIGHT starring Kathryn Hahn and Josh Radnor, which took home the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

That same year we produced INEQUALITY FOR ALL (Weinstein Company/Radius), a humorous and comprehensive look at economic inequality through the eyes of former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. The film was honored with a Special Jury Award for Achievement in Filmmaking at Sundance. Following its film release, I spearheaded a robust social action campaign with Picture Motion with support from The Ford Foundation, Sundance Institute, The Fledgling Fund, amongst others.

I advised the IDA on its inaugural Getting Real Conference. In 2012, my producing partner and I were selected for Variety’s prestigious 10 Producers To Watch list. And from 2009-2013, I served as the Vice President of the Board for the San Francisco Film Society.

I won an Emmy for Best Documentary for my work on HBO/Strand Releasing’s MY FLESH AND BLOOD. Other credits include BIG EDEN, Tom Bezucha’s directorial debut; the HBO documentaries NAKED STATES and POSITIVELY NAKED; RESTAURANT; I LOVE YOU, DON’T TOUCH ME! (MGM); and the PBS documentary feature FAMILY NAME, winner of the Freedom of Expression Award at Sundance and nominated for an Emmy.