Jennifers rule at Sundance and beyond!

Congratulations to Film/Video Studio program and residency award winners Jennifer Reeves and Jennifer Reeder for being included in the upcoming Sundance Film Festival! Whether it’s with work produced in the studio (as is the case for Jennifer Reeder) or not (Jennifer Reeves) it’s always gratifying to see artists we love and support be recognized by such a high-profile festival.

The news about Jennifer Reeder is especially exciting because the Wexner has had such a long history with her, whether screening her films, providing post-production support or—back in the mid–90s while Jennifer was a student at Ohio State—being her work-study job! So when we heard the announcement, the whole center practically erupted with cheers. The film that she’ll be showing at Sundance’s short film program, A Million Miles Away, screened at the Wexner in April and has garnered praise and awards at festivals all around the world this past year. Set within the everyday lives of teenage girls, A Million Miles Away imagines the power of female adolescence and offers an epiphanic moment for the main adult character, a middle-aged woman broken by a failed relationship. Pop culture references abound and, in the climactic moment, Judas Priest’s “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” is brilliantly transformed from heavy metal anthem into a feminist hymn of solidarity and perseverance.  

We’re actually in the final stages of working with Jennifer to finish her newest short film, Blood Below the Skin, which continues her interest in exploring identity and relationships through the lens of everyday adolescent life. I can’t give too much away, but it’s a powerful film and one that you’ll definitely be hearing about in the coming year. Stay tuned!  

—Jennifer Lange, Curator, Film/Video Studio