Jane Schoenbrun | |
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Born | 1987 (age 36–37) |
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Known for | |
Awards | 2021 Future/Now Special Jury Prize for Visionary Filmmaking at Montclair Film Festival |
Jane Flannery Schoenbrun[1] (/ˈʃoʊnbrən/[2]) (born 1987) is an American director, screenwriter and producer who began working in the film industry in the late 2010s. Prior to their[a] directorial debut in 2018, Schoenbrun produced feature-length fiction films, documentaries, and short films.
Jane Schoenbrun was born in 1987.[3] They were raised by Jewish parents in Ardsley, New York.[4]
Schoenbrun graduated from Boston University's film program in 2009. While in college, they worked as a production assistant on short films by the Safdie brothers.[5] After graduating, Schoenbrun moved to New York and began working for the Independent Filmmaker Project.[5] Prior to their career as a director, Schoenbrun wrote a significant number of articles and news pieces for the magazine Filmmaker.[6]
Schoenbrun made their directorial debut in 2018 with the documentary A Self-Induced Hallucination. The film centers the narrative of the fictional horror character and internet phenomenon Slender Man, as told through a found footage compilation of existing YouTube videos. Though it was formerly available to view on Vimeo, the film has since been removed. Schoenbrun has stated that they do not wish to profit from A Self-Induced Hallucination.[7]
Their film We're All Going to the World's Fair premiered during the online 2021 Sundance Film Festival. The film follows the story of a teenage girl named Casey, portrayed by Anna Cobb, who joins an "occult online game".[8] The film was inspired and informed by creepypasta aesthetics and trans perspectives. Critics noted that it paid homage to low-budget horror films such Paranormal Activity.[9] The majority of We're All Going to the World's Fair consists of original footage, with the exception of some online videos posted by content creators previously unrelated to the film.[5]
On October 7, 2021, Deadline reported that Schoenbrun's next feature, I Saw the TV Glow, was in development. The film would be co-produced by Fruit Tree, the production banner of actress Emma Stone, as well as A24, which would also distribute the film.[10] Starring Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine, I Saw the TV Glow follows two teenage outcasts who bond over their shared love for a science fiction television series, only for them to lose touch with reality upon the show's cancellation.[11] The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival before screening at the Berlin International Film Festival and the South by Southwest Film Festival.[12][13][14] I Saw the TV Glow was released in select theaters on May 3, 2024, before a wide release on May 17.[15] The film has received critical acclaim.[16]
In January 2023, The Film Stage announced that Schoenbrun was set to direct an adaptation of Imogen Binnie's 2013 novel Nevada, widely considered a classic of transgender literature.[17] However, Schoenbrun confirmed in a May 2024 interview with The Cut that they had exited the project due to "creative differences with cis people".[4]
Year | Title | Producer | Writer | Director |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Speechless | Yes | No | No |
2016 | Black Soil, Green Grass | Yes | No | No |
2016 | Collective, Unconscious | Yes | Yes | No |
2016 | Swallowed | Yes | No | No |
2017 | Lovewatch | Yes | No | No |
2017 | Village People | No | Yes | No |
2018 | A Self-Induced Hallucination | Yes | No | Yes |
2018 | Gwilliam's Tips For Turning Tricks Into Treats | Yes | No | No |
2019 | Tux and Fanny | Yes | No | No |
2019 | Pots N' Tots | Yes | No | No |
2019 | Chained for Life | Yes | No | No |
2019 | Dick Pics! (A Documentary) | Yes | No | No |
2019 | Laying Out | Yes | No | No |
2020 | The Starr Sisters | Yes | No | No |
2021 | We're All Going to the World's Fair | No | Yes | Yes |
2023 | Girl Internet Show: A Kati Kelli Mixtape | Yes | No | No |
2024 | I Saw the TV Glow | No | Yes | Yes |
Year | Title | Role |
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2017–present | The Eyeslicer | Co-creator |
Year | Song | Artist | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | "Night Shift" | Lucy Dacus | [18] |
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Denver International Film Festival | Best Feature Film | We're All Going to the World's Fair | Nominated |
Fantasia Film Festival | Camera Lucida AQCC Award | Nominated | ||
Gijón International Film Festival | Best Film | Nominated | ||
Indie Memphis Film Festival | Best Narrative Feature | Nominated | ||
Montclair Film Festival | Future/Now Special Jury Prize for Visionary Filmmaking | Won | ||
Nashville Film Festival | Grand Jury Prize of Best Graveyard Shift Feature | Nominated | ||
Oldenburg Film Festival | German Independence Award/Audience Award for Best Film | Nominated | ||
Sundance Film Festival | NEXT Innovator Award | Nominated | ||
Warsaw International Film Festival | Free Spirit Award | Nominated | ||
2022 | Gotham Awards | Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award | Nominated | |
Indiana Film Journalists Association, US | Breakout of the Year | Nominated | ||
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Most Promising Filmmaker | Nominated | ||
Americana Film Fest | Audience Award | Nominated | ||
2024 | Berlin International Film Festival | Panorama Audience Award | I Saw the TV Glow | Nominated |
Teddy Award | Nominated | |||
SXSW Film Awards | Audience Award for Festival Favorites | Nominated |