Jennifer Abbott facts for kids

Jennifer Abbott (born January 8, 1965) is a talented Canadian filmmaker. She has won awards from the Sundance Film Festival and the Genie Awards. Jennifer is a director, writer, editor, producer, and sound designer. She focuses on making documentaries about important topics. These topics include social fairness and protecting our environment.

Jennifer Abbott's Early Life and Family

Jennifer Abbott was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She went to McGill University to study political science. She was very interested in ideas about politics, women's rights, and how humans connect with nature. She even tried law school for a short time. But she soon decided to teach herself how to make films. Later, she even taught at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, where she had once studied.

Jennifer is a mom to three children, including twin daughters born in 2006. These twins were even featured in her film The Magnitude of All Things. She cares a lot about the environment. She uses clean energy for her transportation and home. She is also an organic farmer. Jennifer practices Zen Buddhism, which is a type of meditation and philosophy.

Jennifer lives part-time in Vancouver and part-time in the Gulf Islands on Canada's West Coast. For many years, she lived on a farm that used renewable energy. She comes from an interesting family! Her sister, Heather Abbott, is a journalist. Jennifer is also related to John Abbott, who was one of Canada's first Prime Ministers born in Canada. Her great-great-grand-aunt, Maude Abbott, was one of Canada's first women doctors. Maude had to fight for her right to study medicine. Jennifer is also a cousin of famous actors Christopher Plummer and Amanda Plummer.

Jennifer Abbott's Amazing Films

Jennifer Abbott has made many important films. She often explores big issues that affect our world.

The Magnitude of All Things (2020)

In 2020, Jennifer released The Magnitude of All Things. This documentary explores how people feel about the climate crisis. She wrote, directed, co-produced, edited, and even narrated this film. It was made with the National Film Board of Canada. Critics said the film was very moving and powerful. It encourages people to take action on climate change.

The Magnitude of All Things won the Best Canadian Feature Award at the Planet in Focus Film Festival. It was also shown at IDFA (film festival), one of the world's biggest documentary film festivals. The film shares stories from places greatly affected by climate change. These include Northern Canada, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Great Barrier Reef. It also features important voices like Greta Thunberg and Anote Tong.

The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel (2020)

Also in 2020, Jennifer co-directed The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel with Joel Bakan. This film is a follow-up to their very popular movie, The Corporation. It first showed at the Toronto International Film Festival. Forbes magazine called it "The Must-See Documentary of the Year."

A Cow at My Table (1998)

Jennifer's first full-length documentary was A Cow at My Table (1998). This film looks at the disagreements between animal welfare groups and the meat industry. Jennifer spent five years making this film. She traveled across Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. She met with animal rights activists and people from the meat industry. During filming, she faced challenges while trying to show what happens at slaughterhouses. A Cow at My Table was one of the first documentaries to criticize large-scale animal farming. It won several international awards.

Two Brides and a Scalpel (2000)

In 2000, Jennifer worked with director Mark Achbar on Two Brides and a Scalpel: Diary of a Lesbian Marriage. This documentary was a low-budget video diary. It showed the story of a married couple in Canada. The film was invited to many festivals and was shown on Canadian TV.

The Corporation (2003)

Jennifer continued to work with Mark Achbar. In 2003, they co-directed the highly praised documentary The Corporation. This film looks closely at how modern companies act towards society and the world. Jennifer interviewed 40 people who worked inside corporations. She also used real-life examples. She hoped the film would inspire people to make positive changes.

Jennifer spent a year editing this film. She went through over 800 pages of interviews and 400 hours of video! She wanted the film to ask questions and let the audience think for themselves. While making the film, Joel Bakan wrote a book called The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power.

I Am (2011)

Jennifer also worked on the documentary I Am (2011). She was the editor and an executive producer. The film explores director Tom Shadyac's personal journey after an accident affected his health. Jennifer felt a strong connection to the film's ideas and beliefs.

Other Notable Works

• In 2013, Jennifer created an experimental short film called Brave New Minds. It was made entirely from videos found on the internet.
• In 2015, she co-wrote and edited Sea Blind. This film is about new shipping routes opening in the Arctic due to melting ice. It also looks at how shipping affects the environment.
• Also in 2015, she co-wrote, co-directed, and edited Us and Them. This film follows four homeless people over ten years.

Awards and Nominations

Jennifer Abbott's films have received many awards and nominations.

A Cow at My Table (1998)

• Gold Special Jury Award, WorldFest Houston 99
• Best Documentary, New Jersey International Film Festival 99
• Best Documentary, Narrowsburg International Film Festival, NY 99
• 1st PRIZE, Video Awards Promoting Respect for All Life, Latham Foundation, CA 00
• Media Commendation Award, Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, 99
• Silver Certificate, Prix Leonardo International Festival of Film & TV, Italy 99

The Corporation (2003)

• Audience Award, World Cinema, Documentary, Sundance Film Festival
• Insight Award for Excellence, National Association of Film and Digital Media Artists, USA
• Best Documentary, The Genie Awards, 2005
• Genesis Award for Outstanding Documentary Film, United States Humane Society
• Audience Award for Best Feature Length Film, Ecocinema International Film Festival, Rhodes
• Best Feature Documentary, Environmental Media Association Awards
• Reel Room Audience Award for Best Documentary, Sydney Film Festival
• Joris Ivens Special Jury Award, International Documentary Festival, Amsterdam
• NFB Best Documentary Award, Calgary International Film Festival
• Best Feature Length Documentary, Ecocinema International Film Festival, Rhodes
• Top Ten Films of the Year, Toronto International Film Festival Group
• Best Documentary Program or Series - History/Biography/Social/Political, Leo Award
• Best Direction in a Documentary Program or Series, Leo Award
• Best Picture Editing in a Documentary Program or Series, Leo Award
• Best Documentary (1st runner-up), Seattle International Film Festival
• Special Jury Mention, Montreal New Film And Video Festival
• Audience Award, Philadelphia International Film Festival
• Audience Award, Vancouver International Film Festival
• Audience Award, Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival
• Audience Award, FIC Brasilia International Film Festival
• Audience Award (1st runner-up), Calgary International Film Festival
• Audience Award (1st runner-up), Toronto International Film Festival

Unspeak: Brave New Minds (2013)

• Nominee: Prix Europa

I Am (2011)

• Documentary Award - Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA) - 2012

The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel (2020)

• Nominee: Best Canadian Feature Film, Toronto International Film Festival

The Magnitude of All Things (2020)

• Best Canadian Documentary, Planet in Focus Film Festival
• Nominee: Best Picture Editing in Documentary, Directors Guild of Canada

Jennifer Abbott's Filmography

Jennifer Abbott has worked on many films in different roles.

Director

• Skinned (1993)
• A Cow at My Table (1998)
• The Corporation (2003)
• Unspeak: Brave New Minds (2013)
• Us and Them (2015)
• The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel (2020)
• The Magnitude of All Things (2020)

Writer

• Skinned (1993)
• Us and Them (2015)
• Sea Blind (2015)
• The Magnitude of All Things (2020)

Editor

• Skinned (1993)
• A Cow at My Table (1998)
• Two Brides and a Scalpel: Diary of a Lesbian Marriage (2000)
• The Corporation (2003)
• Let It Ride (2006)
• I Am (2011)
• Unspeak: Brave New Minds (2013)
• Sea Blind (2015)
• Us and Them (2015)
• The Magnitude of All Things (2020)

Sound Design

• Skinned (1993)
• Unspeak: Brave New Minds (2013)
• Sea Blind (2015)
• The Magnitude of All Things (2020)

Producer

• A Cow at My Table (1998)
• I Am (2011)
• The Magnitude of All Things (2020)