The District of Columbia Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment (OCTFME) is pleased to recognize Giovanna Chesler as the April 2019 Filmmaker of the Month.
Giovanna Chesler directs documentary and narrative films that address themes of the body, sexuality, and gender. Her films have been exhibited at over a hundred film festivals worldwide and in museums and gallery spaces. She regularly produces films for progressive non-profit organizations through her production company G6 Pictures.
Giovanna’s recent short fiction drama, The Pick Up, was awarded the Best Short Fiction Film (Audience Award) at the Cineffable Paris International Lesbian and Feminist Film Festival. The film also won Best Short Film (Audience Award) from Image+Nation in Montreal and won a Special Jury Award in Screenwriting from the Big Muddy Film Festival.
“I’m in love with DC. I stay in DC. I work in DC. I collaborate in DC. I moved here in 2007 when I was a professor at American University and totally fell in love with the DC Film scene,” said Giovanna. She continued, “So it really means a lot to me to be recognized by the DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment. I’m really excited.”
Giovanna produced the award-winning documentary Out in the Night about four black lesbian and gender non-conforming women who became criminals for defending themselves against a homophobic street attack. The documentary premiered on PBS’ POV program and Logo simultaneously and is used in 70 countries by the United Nations in their Free+Equal campaign to combat homophobia and violence against Trans people.
Giovanna’s film, The Pick Up will screen as part of the Metro Short Program (a DC filmmakers block) during the 33rd Annual FilmFest DC happening April 25 – May 5, 2019. The DC Short Screening Committee selected The Pick Up as being one of the most outstanding shorts of the year. FilmFest DC is an International Film Festival that brings the finest in contemporary world cinema to the nation’s capital. For additional information about the film festival, please visit http://www.filmfestdc.org/.
Giovanna received a Master of Fine Arts in Cinema from San Francisco State University and was awarded most distinguished graduate. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology and a minor in Women’s Studies with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia. Currently, Giovanna is an Associate Professor and Director of the Film and Video Studies Program at George Mason University and in 2019, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities awarded her a Fellowship in Media Arts.
Giovanna's Links:
https://vimeo.com/254901303
https://vimeo.com/58462469
www.g6pictures.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/G6pictures/
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/g6pictures
Twitter: @g6pictures
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GIOVANNA CHESLER DC RADIO INTERVIEW
Want to learn more about Giovanna Chesler and her work? Click HERE to listen to her DC Radio Interview.
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OCTFME launched the “Filmmaker of the Month” initiative as a vehicle for highlighting the talents and creative contributions of filmmakers that make the District of Columbia their home. The “Filmmaker of the Month” initiative is part of OCTFME’s mission to elevate the national and international profile of the District’s talented filmmakers.
***If you know of a filmmaker that would make a great future “Filmmaker of the Month,” you can send OCTFME your recommendations using this nomination form.
About OCTFME
The District of Columbia Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment is responsible for implementing, managing, and administering programs, initiatives, and services that support media industry economic activity, growth, and employment in the District of Columbia.
Washington, D.C.’s instantly recognizable landmarks, diverse neighborhoods, cultural amenities, and first-class accommodations are just some of the many features that make the nation’s capital a venue of choice for media production.
For more information, contact the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment at (202) 727-6608, visit us on the web at http://entertainment.dc.gov, join the DC Film community on http://www.facebook.com/EntertainDC, or follow us on http://twitter.com/Entertain_DC.
