Jan Krawitz

Bio

Jan Krawitz is a Professor Emerita in the M.F.A. Program in Documentary Film and Video. She has been independently producing documentary films for many years. Her work has been exhibited at film festivals in the United States and abroad, including Sundance, the New York Film Festival, Visions du Réel, Edinburgh, SilverDocs, London, Sydney, Full Frame, South by Southwest and the Flaherty Film Seminar. Her most recent film, Perfect Strangers, is a documentary that follows Ellie, a woman who embarks on an unpredictable, four-year journey of twists and turns, determined to give away one of her kidneys. The film was broadcast on the national PBS series, America ReFramed. Krawitz’s previous documentary, Big Enough, was broadcast on the PBS series P.O.V. and internationally in eighteen countries. Her films, Mirror Mirror, In Harm’s Way, Little People, and Drive-in Blues were all broadcast on national PBS and her short film Styx is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Little People was nominated for a national Emmy Award and was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered. Krawitz has had one-woman retrospectives of her films at venues including the Portland Art Museum, Hood Museum of Art, Rice Media Center, the Austin Film Society, and the Ann Arbor Film Festival. She is the recipient of artist residencies at Yaddo and the Bogliasco Foundation. Krawitz is currently a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Graz in Austria.

Academic Appointments

• Emeritus Faculty, Acad Council, Art & Art History

Administrative Appointments

• BAVC Mediamakers Fellowship (Perfect Strangers), Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) (2013 - 2013)
• Director, M.F.A. Program in Documentary Film and Video, Stanford University (2007 - 2014)
• Professor, Stanford Continuing Studies, Stanford University (2007 - 2009)
• Professor, Department of Art and Art History, Stanford University (1988 - Present)
• Fellow, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University (1986 - 1987)
• Film Production Area Head, Department of Radio-­TV-­Film, The University of Texas at Austin (1984 - 1986)
• Assistant / Associate Professor, Department of Radio-TV-­Film, The University of Texas at Austin (1980 - 1988)
• Visiting Filmmaker, The Evergreen State College (1979 - 1980)
• Audio/Distribution Coordinator, Temple University (1978 - 1979)
• Graduate Assistant, Temple University (1975 - 1978)

Honors & Awards

• Fulbright Scholar, University of Graz, Austria (2022)
• Artist Residency, Bogliasco Foundation (2022)
• Voting Member, Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (2019-present)
• American Spirit Award, Caucus for Writers, Producers, Directors (2018)
• George C. Stoney Award, University Film and Video Association (2018)
• Audience Award, Perfect Strangers, San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (2014)
• Audience Award, Perfect Strangers, Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival (2014)
• Best Feature Documentary, Perfect Strangers, Altanta International Documentary Film Festival (2014)
• Honorable Mention, Perfect Strangers, University Film and Video Association National Conference (2013)
• Honorable Mention, Perfect Strangers, Santa Fe Independent Film Festival (2013)
• BAVC Mediamakers Fellowship, Bay Area Video Coalition (2012-2013)
• PCA Rollins Documentary Award, Big Enough, Popular Culture Association (2008)
• Producer’s Award, Corporation for Public Broadcasting (2006)
• Best Documentary, Big Enough, University Film and Video Association National Conference (2005)
• CINE Golden Eagle Award, Big Enough, Council on International Nontheatrical Events (2005)
• Director’s Citation, Big Enough, Black Maria Film and Video Festival (2005)
• First Prize, Documentary, Big Enough, Carolina Film and Video Festival (2005)
• First Prize, Documentary, Big Enough, East Lansing Film Festival (2005)
• Rollins Documentary Award, Drive-In Blues, Popular Culture Assocation (2005)
• Third Prize, Big Enough, Big Muddy Film Festival (2005)
• Top 25 DVD Documentaries of 2005, Big Enough, Video Librarian (2005)
• Heart of the Festival Award, Big Enough, Vermont International Film Festival (2004)
• Research Incentive Award (Big Enough), Stanford University (2000)
• Best of Festival, In Harm's Way, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (1998)
• Best Documentary, In Harm's Way, New Frontiers Film Festival, Ottawa (1997)
• Best of Festival, In Harm's Way, Louisville Film and Video Festival (1997)
• Isabella Liddell Art Award, In Harm's Way, Ann Arbor Film Festival (1997)
• Jurors’ Citation, In Harm's Way, Black Maria Film and Video Festival (1997)
• Audience Award, In Harm's Way, Imagefest (1996)
• Award of Merit, In Harm's Way, Sinking Creek Film/Video Festival (1996)
• Best of Festival, In Harm's Way, Utah Short Film and Video Festival (1996)
• Certificate of Merit, In Harm's Way, Chicago International Film Festival (1996)
• Jury Award, In Harm's Way, New York Expo of Short Film & Video (1996)
• Silver Award, In Harm's Way, International Documentary Association (1996)
• Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching, Stanford University (1995)
• Best Women's Issues Film, Mirror Mirror, University of Cincinnati Film Society Festival (1994)
• Honorable Mention, Mirror Mirror, Baltimore International Film Festival (1992)
• Judge’s Choice, Mirror Mirror, Louisville Film and Video Festival (1992)
• Best Documentary Film, Mirror Mirror, Humboldt International Film & Video Festival (1991)
• Director’s Choice, Mirror Mirror, Edison-­Black Maria Film & Video Festival (1991)
• Jury Award, Mirror Mirror, Documentary Film, Big Muddy Film Festival (1991)
• First Prize (Documentary), Mirror Mirror, 24th New York Expo of Short Film & Video (1990)
• Festival Prize, Drive-In Blues, Humboldt Film Festival, California (1988)
• Red Ribbon, Drive-In Blues, American Film Festival, New York (1987)
• Second Prize (Documentary), Drive-In Blues, Athens International Film Festival (1987)
• Honorable Mention, Little People (58 Minutes), Baltimore International Film Festival (1986)
• Emmy Award nomination, Little People (58 Minutes), Outstanding Individual Documentary (1985)
• Festival Award, Little People (58 Minutes), Superfest '85, Los Angeles (1985)
• Red Ribbon, Little People (58 Minutes), American Film Festival (1985)
• CINE Golden Eagle, Little People (58 Minutes), Council on International Nontheatrical Events, Washington, D.C. (1984)
• College of Communication Teaching Excellence Award, The University of Texas at Austin (1984)
• Barbara Jordan Communications Award, Little People (88 Minutes), Barbara Jordan Communications (1983)
• Judges' Award and People's Choice Award, P.M., 16th Annual Humboldt Film Festival (1983)
• First Prize, Afterimage, FOCUS Competition, Los Angeles (1981)
• Juror's Prize, P.M., Bellevue Film Festival, Washington (1981)
• Merit Award, Cotton Candy and Elephant Stuff, Athens International Film Festival, Ohio (1981)
• Finalist, Afterimage, American Film Festival, New York (1980)
• Judges' Choice, Cotton Candy and Elephant Stuff, San Francisco Art Institute Film Festival (1980)
• Third Prize, Cotton Candy and Elephant Stuff, FOCUS Competition, Los Angeles (1980)
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Student Film Award Cotton Candy and Elephant Stuff, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (1979)
• Blue Ribbon, Cotton Candy and Elephant Stuff, American Film Festival, New York (1979)
• CINE Eagle, Cotton Candy and Elephant Stuff, Council on International Nontheatrical Events, Washington, D.C (1979)
• First Prize, Cotton Candy and Elephant Stuff, Marin County Film Festival, California (1979)
• Merit Award, Afterimage, Rehabilitation Film Festival, New York (1979)
• Finalist, Styx, American Film Festival, New York (1978)
• Jury Prize, Styx, Deuxièmes Rencontres Internationales Henri Langlois à Tours, France (1978)
• Second Prize, Styx, 20th International Documentary & Short Film Festival, Bilbao, Spain (1978)
• Ann Arbor Festival Award, Styx, Selected to tour with award-­winning films (1977)
• First Prize, Styx, Ohio State University (1977)
• First Prize, Styx, University of Wisconsin (1977)
• First prize, Styx, Alfred University (1977)
• Honorable Mention, Styx, Penn State Film Festival (1977)
• Regional winner, Styx, Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Student Film Awards (1977)
• Scholarship Award (Styx), University Film Association (1977)

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations

• External Review, Site Visit, Wake Forest University (2018 - 2018)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, USC (2018 - 2018)
• External Review, Site Visit, American University (2016 - 2016)
• Juror, Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival (2015 - 2015)
• Juror, University Film and Video Association (2014 - 2014)
• Juror, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (2014 - 2014)
• Promotion Committee Chair, Stanford University (2013 - 2014)
• Search Committee Chair, Department of Art & Art History, Stanford University (2013 - 2014)
• Grants Panelist, California Council on the Humanities (2013 - 2013)
• Search Committee Chair, Department of Art & Art History, Stanford University (2012 - 2013)
• Juror, San Francisco International Film Festival (2012 - 2012)
• Juror, Next Reel Film Festival, Singapore (2012 - 2012)
• External Review with site visit, Chapman University (2011 - 2011)
• External Review with site visit, University of Miami (2011 - 2011)
• Juror, San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (pre-­‐screener) (2010 - 2013)
• Juror, Social Issues Documentary Film Festival, San Jose (2010 - 2010)
• Member, Advisory Board, International Public Television (2009 - 2012)
• Member, Search Committees, Department of Art & Art History, Stanford University (2008 - 2009)
• Individual mentor, Emerging Filmmaker Mentoring Project, Co-­‐sponsored by Southwest Alternate Media Project (Houston) and Ibero-­‐American University (Mexico City) (2008 - 2008)
• Juror, Ashland Independent Film Festival (2008 - 2008)
• Juror, Social Issues Documentary Film Festival, San Jose (2008 - 2008)
• Director, M.F.A. Program in Documentary Film and Video, Stanford University (2007 - 2014)
• Faculty Mentor, Stanford University (2007 - 2014)
• Member, Arts Facility Master Planning Committee, Stanford University (2007 - 2010)
• Promotion Committees, Chair, Stanford University (2007 - 2010)
• Grants Panelist, Stanford Institute for Creativity and the Arts, Stanford University (2007 - 2009)
• Promotion Committee Chair, Stanford University (2007 - 2008)
• External Review Committee (Site Visit), Southern Illinois University (2007 - 2007)
• Juror, Ashland Independent Film Festival (2007 - 2007)
• Member, Arts Initiative Vision Group, Stanford University (2006 - 2010)
• Member, Search Committees, Department of Art & Art History, Stanford University (2006 - 2007)
• External Review Committee (Chair and Site Visit), University of Iowa (2006 - 2006)
• Juror, Cinequest (2006 - 2006)
• Juror, International Student Film Festival, Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision (CILECT) (2006 - 2006)
• Manuscript Reviews, Focal Press (2005 - Present)
• Member, Board of Directors, Ashland Independent Film Festival (2005 - 2010)
• Member, Advisory Board, McGraw-­‐Hill Contemporary Learning Series (2005 - 2007)
• Member, Curriculum Committee, School of Humanities & Sciences, Stanford University (2005 - 2007)
• External Review Committee (Site Visit), Hong Kong Baptist University (2005 - 2005)
• Juror, Ashland Independent Film Festival (2005 - 2005)
• Juror, Front Page Awards, Newswomen’s Club of New York (2005 - 2005)
• Jury Chair, Council on International Nontheatrical Events (CINE) (2005 - 2005)
• Member, Advisory Committee, Center for Social Media Fair Use Policy (2004 - 2006)
• Member, Advisory Board, Flaherty Film Seminar (2004 - 2005)
• Panelist, Research Incentive Fund, Office of Technology and Licensing, Stanford University (2001 - 2004)
• Chair, Search Committee, Department of Communication, Stanford University (2000 - 2001)
• Juror, Humboldt International Film and Video Festival (2000 - 2000)
• Juror, National Educational Media Network (1999 - 1999)
• Member, External Review Committee (Site Visit), Southern Illinois University (1999 - 1999)
• Director, M.A. Program in Documentary Film and Video, Stanford University (1998 - 2003)
• Juror, United Nations Association Film Festival (1998 - 1998)
• Juror, Ann Arbor Film Festival (1998 - 1998)
• Juror, Cinequest (1998 - 1998)
• Search Committee, Department of Art, Stanford University (1997 - 1998)
• Member, Board of Directors, University Film and Video Association (1995 - 1996)
• Juror, Regional Emmy Awards (1995 - 1995)
• Jury Chair, San Francisco International Film Festival (1995 - 1995)
• Jury Chair, San Francisco International Film Festival (1993 - 1995)
• Juror, Louisville Film Festival (1993 - 1993)
• Juror, Council on International Nontheatrical Events (1993 - 1993)
• Juror, Louisville Film and Video Festival (1993 - 1993)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, American University (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, Northern Illinois University (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, Hunter College (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, University of Iowa (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, New York University (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, The University of Texas at Austin (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, Franklin and Marshall College (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, Harvard University (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, Ohio University (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, Southern Methodist University (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, University of Southern California (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, Chapman University (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, University of Colorado (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, University of Arizona (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, University of Florida (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, University of Alaska (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, Ohio State (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, University of California, Los Angeles (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, Temple University (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, University of Vermont (1992 - Present)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, Vassar College (1992 - Present)
• Arts Roundtable, Stanford University (1992 - 1995)
• Juror, National Educational Film and Video Festival (1992 - 1992)
• Jury Chair, San Francisco International Film Festival (1992 - 1992)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, University of Denver (1992 - 1992)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, Syracuse University (1992 - 1992)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, Santa Clara University (1992 - 1992)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, Columbia College (1992 - 1992)
• Tenure and Promotion Reviews, Emerson College (1992 - 1992)
• Member, Committee on Undergraduate Studies, Stanford University (1991 - 1994)
• Juror, National Educational Film and Video Festival (1991 - 1991)
• Member, Department of Communication, Undergraduate Committee, Stanford University (1990 - 1997)
• Juror, San Francisco International Film Festival (1990 - 1991)
• Juror, Humboldt International Film and Video Festival (1990 - 1990)
• Juror, American Film Festival (1990 - 1990)
• Film/Video Review Editor, Journal of Film and Video (1989 - 1994)
• Juror, Atlanta Film and Video Festival (1989 - 1989)
• Juror, Big Muddy Film Festival, Illinois (1988 - 1988)
• Juror, American Film Festival (1987 - 1987)
• Juror, New England Film Festival, Boston (1987 - 1987)
• Head, Production Area, Department of Radio-­TV-­Film, University of Texas (1985 - 1988)
• Chair, Teaching Excellence Committee, College of Communication, University of Texas (1985 - 1987)
• Juror, U.S.A. Film Festival, Dallas (1985 - 1985)
• Budget Council, Department of Radio-­Television-­Film, University of Texas (1984 - 1988)
• Juror, American Film Festival (1984 - 1984)
• Juror, American Film Festival (1983 - 1983)
• Regional Coordinator, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Student Film Awards (1982 - 1988)
• Juror, American Film Festival (1980 - 1980)

Professional Education

• Master of Fine Arts, Temple University, Film (1979)
• B.A., Cornell University, (Photography/Film) (1975)