Jen Heck facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jen Heck
Born	Jenifer Heck Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Film director, producer, screenwriter, film editor
Years active	2000–present

Jen Heck is an American writer, director, and producer. She is well-known for making films that have won many awards. Her movies have been shown at big events like the Sundance Film Festival. They have also been featured at the Whitney Biennial, which is a famous art show.

Jen Heck's stories are often unique and a little bit unusual. They often explore themes of friendship and how young women connect with each other. Her films have a special look because she mixes new video with older, existing clips. This creates a very distinct and artistic style.

One of her important projects is "The Promised Band." This is a full-length documentary film. It's about a group of women from Israel and Palestine. They form a pretend band to explore their friendships, which are usually not allowed. The band acts like a symbol for society. Each woman plays a role that shows a different part of their community.

The band faces challenges and sometimes fails, just like society does. But when the women achieve a small victory, the film suggests something important. It shows that women in countries that are fighting might be the key to peace. "The Promised Band" first showed at the Cinequest Film Festival in 2016. It won awards for Best Documentary and the Canon Filmmaker Award.

Jen Heck has received many other awards and nominations too. These include honors from New York Women in Film and Television and the Iris Prize. She has also been recognized by festivals like Zurich's Pink Apple and Newfest.

She has also worked behind the scenes for TV networks. She was a camera operator and producer for channels like MTV and Bravo. She also learned from experienced directors on TV shows. These included Dexter on Showtime and Leverage on TNT.

In 2008, Jen Heck traveled to Mount Everest. This is the world's tallest mountain. She lived with a professional climbing team there. This trip was part of her research for an upcoming movie. She currently lives in New York City and also spends time in Los Angeles, California.

Early Life and Education

Jen Heck grew up in two different places. She spent time in Massachusetts in the U.S. and also in Singapore. In Singapore, she went to the Singapore American School. When she was a young teenager, she worked in front of the camera. She appeared in national TV commercials.

In the early 2000s, she started working mostly behind the camera. In 1998, she was featured on the Travel Channel show American Journey. The show followed her as she rode her bike in the Boston-New York AIDSRide. This is a yearly bike event that raises money for charity.

Jen Heck studied film at two well-known universities. She graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She also earned a degree from Columbia University School of the Arts.

Creative Partnerships and Projects

Jen Heck has worked with many talented people. Recently, she teamed up with Van Jones. She also worked with members of musician Prince's family. They created a short film about Prince's secret charity work. This film included famous people like President Barack Obama and Janelle Monáe.

Around 2000, Jen Heck performed as a DJ. She played music with MCs Cazwell and Crasta Yo for almost two years. She then left their band, Morplay, to focus only on making films. That same year, she created the 60 Second Film Festival. This was the very first film festival held completely online. It was a new and exciting idea at the time.

In 2001, Jen Heck helped start a company called Charged Animation. It was based in Brooklyn. She co-founded it with other filmmakers.

In 2004, Jen Heck worked with artist Eve Sussman. They created a live-action film called 89 Seconds at Alcazar. This film was based on a famous 1656 painting by Diego Velázquez. Alcazar was shown at the 2004 Whitney Biennial. It was later bought by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. She has also worked with artist Mark Tribe on his project, Port Huron Project.

In 2006, Jen Heck worked with fellow film student Madeleine Olnek. They wrote a short film called Hold Up. This film won awards and was shown at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. It also won the Audience Award at Newfest.

Jen Heck has also worked with Oscar-nominated cinematographer Martina Radwan. They have teamed up on films like Airplanes, Salamander, and The Promised Band. As a director and cinematographer team, they get support from Panavision and Canon.

In 2008, she taught film for a short time at Manhattanville College. She is currently working on making a full-length movie version of her short film "Salamander."

Film Projects

Here are some of the films Jen Heck has worked on:

• The Promised Band, 2016, a full-length documentary. It won Best Documentary Feature at the Cinequest Film Festival.
• Salamander, 2009, a short film. It won the Audience Award at the Columbia University Film Festival. It was also nominated for the Iris Prize.
• Airplanes, 2007, a short film. It won Best Short Film at the Provincetown International Film Festival and Zurich Pink Apple.
• Hold Up, 2006, a short film (she was the writer). It was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival. It also won Best Short Film at Newfest.
• The Last Days of Leni Riefenstahl, 2005, a short film. It won Best Short Film at The Big Muddy Film Festival.
• 89 Seconds at Alcazar, 2004. It was an official selection at the 2004 Whitney Biennial.