Biography
Jennifer offers a fresh and genuine approach to crafting impactful, thought-provoking stories.
Passionate about documentary filmmaking, Jen recently directed her debut feature documentary, Subjects of Desire, which explores Black women and beauty. The film premiered at SXSW and was a top ten Audience favourite at Hot Docs. It is set to air on Starz in the US, and TVO and Crave in Canada.
She co-produced the feature documentary Stateless with director Michele Stephenson (American Promise) for PBS/POV and the National Film Board. Stateless premiered digitally at Tribeca and Hot Docs in 2020, where it earned the Special Jury Prize and later won Best Feature Documentary at Black Star.
Jen serves as Executive Producer on Maya Annik Bedward’s feature documentary Black Zombie, currently in production with CBC's Doc Channel. Deeply committed to Black Canadian history and addressing its underrepresentation, she is producing her first History Channel series, BLK: An Origin Story, acting as series showrunner and director alongside partner Sudz Sutherland.
Her production credits include numerous TV documentaries such as Badge of Pride (CBC & PBS), Min Sook Lee’s film about gay police officers that has been sold internationally from Israel to Europe, Brick By Brick (Omni), Yin Yin Jade Love (TVO), and Dolores: The Art of Art Modeling (Bravo!). She co-directed Speakers For the Dead (CBC/NFB) with Sutherland, uncovering hidden Black history in Ontario. On the drama side, Jen creates, writes, and produces television series including Shoot the Messenger (CBC, WGN/USA) and Guns (CBC). She won a shared Canadian Screen Award for Best Writing on Guns, along with four additional CSA wins and a Rose d’Or nomination for Best Drama.
Her feature film work includes Home Again, which she co-wrote and produced with partner Sudz Sutherland. The film was distributed in the US and internationally and screened theatrically across the UK, Africa, and the Caribbean. It received the Planet Africa Film Fest-BAFTA Festival Choice Award and a DGC nomination for Best Direction for Sutherland. Additionally, it earned two Canadian Screen Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actor for Stephan James in his feature debut.
Jen also co-wrote and produced Love, Sex and Eating the Bones, which won seven festival awards including Best First Canadian Feature at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film was nominated for three Genie Awards for Best Writing, Directing, and Picture. Her short film My Father’s Hands, which she produced, won the HBO Award for Best Short Film and five Golden Sheaf Awards for Best Drama, Director, Script, Music, and Actor, along with a Gemini nomination for Best Short Film.
Her upcoming dramatic feature projects include the German-Canadian co-production RipTide, which she co-wrote. The film stars Malin Akerman and Lyriq Bent and is distributed by Mongrel Media. She is also producing 40 Acres, R.T. Thorne’s debut feature, scheduled for production in 2022.
In 2021, Jen received the CMPA Indiescreen Established Producer of the Year Award, recognizing her significant contributions to Canada’s film industry and her outstanding career achievements.
Beyond her creative work, Jennifer is a committed advocate for diversity and mentorship. She is a founding member of the Black Screen Office, a national organization supporting creatives and producers in screen-based industries. Over the past fifteen years, she has mentored and hired numerous African Canadian and diverse talents, both personally and through collaborations with organizations like The Reel World Film Festival, Black Women Film! Through Their Eyes, The Toronto Black Film Festival, and the Montreal Black Film Festival.
Jen co-chairs the newly established Canadian Independent Screen Fund (CISF) and serves on the Ontario Creates Industry Board. Her other board engagements include the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), The Regent Park Film Festival, Women in View, Innoversity Creative Summit, and CMPA’s Prime Time.
Even while immersed in her work, Jen cherishes spending time with her three remarkable daughters.
