This film was shot in 5 days as part of the 2010 International Documentary Challenge.  We originally approached Jessica intending to focus primarily on her artwork but after our first interview we realized that Jessica’s life and art are deeply connected. Jessica challenges people to really look at her—she decorates her body with tattoos and draws self-portraits with unflinching honesty. We wanted to give the audience access to Jessica’s daily physical challenges so you can see how much determination and drive  Jessica has as a person and an artist.  Jessica says she doesn’t want to be an inspiration but wants to show people that if she can be who she wants to be with all of her physical limitations—there are no excuses not to try whatever it is you dream of.

Producer  Phoebe Brown

Phoebe Brown received an MFA in Photography from The Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design at Georgia State University in 2009.  Phoebe works as a freelance producer and filmmaker in Atlanta, GA most recently as Associate Producer for Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Augusta’s Master Plan: From Sherman’s March to Arnie’s Army.

Phoebe’s documentary 99 to 1: Ovarian Cancer and Me premiered at the 2008 Atlanta Film Festival, was chosen for the touring festival Southern Circuit showcasing outstanding independent filmmakers from the South, and has screened in festivals worldwide and was award the Jury Prize for Short Film in the 2009 Kos Health Film Festival in Greece. Phoebe’s latest doc The Culinary Browns, an experimental exploration of her family history, premiered at the 2011 Provincetown Film Festival and is distributed online by SnagFilms.

Producer  Elizabeth Strickler

Producer and Filmmaker Elizabeth Strickler works as the Post-Production Supervisor and Associate Director of Georgia State University’s Digital Arts and Entertainment Lab where she teaches Digital Post-Production and Producing Emerging Media.  The Digital Arts Entertainment Lab is a multimillion-dollar entertainment research and production facility located in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Through industry and university partnerships, DAEL facilitates the creation and testing of digital media content. Elizabeth received a B.A. in Philosophy from Boston College and an MFA in Digital Filmmaking and Art from Georgia State University.

When not procuring and executing research grants and contracts for DAEL, Elizabeth makes short films with a Southern Gothic sensibility.  Her films “Moth to Light” and “Going to the Beach” have screened in numerous festivals including: The Rhode Island Film Festival, the Rio De Janeiro International Short Film Festival, Aarhaus Festival of Independent Arts Denmark.  “Moth to Light” was screened and discussed in Console-ing Passions: International Conference on Television, Audio, Video, New Media and Feminism.