JILANN SPITZMILLER • DIRECTOR • CINEMATOGRAPHER
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​BIO:
Jilann Spitzmiller
is a Director, Producer, Cinematographer and Writer whose work has won more than 20 awards and has been shown around the globe. Most recently, she directed, wrote, shot and edited MEOW WOLF: ORIGIN STORY, which premiered at SXSW in 2018 and is currently winning awards on the festival circuit. She also directed two fiction shorts for the new MEOW WOLF exhibit in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jilann studied episodic television writing with Sundance's Co//ab and is currently developing a television series based on real-life events. As a cinematographer, Jilann DP’d an episode of CNN’s THE HUNT WITH JOHN WALSH, shot for PBS' THE GREAT AMERICAN READ and the Netflix doc series, ROTTEN. She also shot and wrote two episodes of HOME MAKERS for Zillow. With her filmmaking partner and husband, Hank Rogerson, she produced the award-winning SHAKESPEARE BEHIND BARS and co-directed, produced and edited HOMELAND which aired on National PBS. Their film STILL DREAMING recently finished its award-winning festival run and is currently airing on PBS. Jilann has freelanced extensively in the documentary field, directing, writing and shooting two seasons of the Discovery series MEDICAL DIARY and producing, writing and directing for the NBC series LIFE MOMENTS. She has been a SUNDANCE INSTITUTE fellow, and is a juror for several documentary awards and grants, as well as a frequent workshop presenter at events such as NALIP Producer's Lab and Oregon Doc Camp. Jilann's work has also appeared on BBC, Sundance Channel, Starz/Encore, Al Jazeera, Canal+ and many other channels worldwide. 


CREDITS & CLIENTS INCLUDE:
CINEMATOGRAPHER:
"MEOW WOLF: ORIGIN STORY" - Feature Doc, AppleTV
"ROTTEN" NETFLIX - ZERO POINT ZERO Productions 
"THE GREAT AMERICAN READ" - PBS - Dune segment
​"THE HUNT WITH JOHN WALSH" - CNN 
"STILL DREAMING" - PBS - (also Prod/Director)
MEOW WOLF BRANDED CONTENT (also Director)
​ZILLOW - Small Screen - "Home Makers"
KAISER PERMANENTE - Branded content videos for their community outreach effort (also Writer/Editor)
PBS, ITVS "Circle of Stories" - Award-winning multimedia website (also Producer, Editor)
DISCOVERY HEALTH CHANNEL - "Medical Diaries" - multiple episodes for Seasons 1 & 2
A & E BIOGRAPHY - "Sunset Strip"
VH-1 - "Watershed: Indigo Girls" - music video "Chickenman"
GEAR :
(additional gear available upon request)

CAMERAS THAT I OWN:

​-Sony FX9 package- (4K and 6K capability)
-iPhoneXR (with gimbal)

CAMERAS THAT I HAVE ACCESS TO:
-Sony FS7 m2
-Canon C300

SOUND:
Lectronsonic wireless mics
Sennheiser wireless mics
Sennheiser M60 directional mic

LIGHTS/GRIP:
LEDs
Arri DP light kit, including RIFA
Full grip kit including C-stands, flags, flex fills, cinesaddle, etc...

DRONE 
With Hero GoPro


Picture
Shooting at the Duomo, Florence, Italy
​DIRECTOR:
​MEOW WOLF's OMEGA MART - 2 fiction shorts included in their new Las Vegas, NV exhibit
"MEOW WOLF: ORIGIN STORY"-AppleTV, American Airlines, Lufthansa, etc (also Co-Producer/Writer/Editor/Cinematographer), Fathom Events (600+ theaters)
"STILL DREAMING" - PBS - Award-winning feature documentary (also Producer/Director)
"HOMELAND" - PBS, ITVS - Award-winning feature documentary (also Producer, Writer, Editor)
"MEDICAL DIARY" - DISCOVERY HEALTH CHANNEL - several episodes for Seasons 1 & 2 (also Writer/Cinematographer)
"LIFE MOMENTS" NBC - (Field Producer/Director, Writer) several episodes for Season 1
"CRITICAL CONDITION" - POV, PBS - (also Co-Producer) 
ZILLOW - Small Screen - Home Makers, Season 1, episode 1 & 4 (Co-Director, Writer, Cinematographer)
ZERO POINT ZERO Productions - "Rotten" - Episode 1 (Segment Director/Cinematographer)
CIRCLE OF STORIES - PBS, ITVS, Award-winning multimedia website (also Producer, Editor)
NM DEPT OF HEALTH - "Day One" and "Day Two" video series for new parents (also Writer/Editor)
SOLUTION BASED CASEWORK - Training videos for foster care social workers and families
INDIGO GIRLS - Music video "Chickenman" for Sony's "Watershed" biographical compilation (also Cinematographer/Editor)
​
PRODUCER
​"MEOW WOLF: ORIGIN STORY" (Director/Co-Producer/Writer/Editor/Cinematographer)
​"SHAKESPEARE BEHIND BARS" - PBS, BBC, ITVS - Award-winning doc feature, premiered at Sundance in competition 
"STILL DREAMING" - Award-winning feature documentary, premiered at DOCNYC
"HOMELAND" - PBS, ITVS - Award-winning feature documentary (also Producer, Writer, Editor)
"CIRCLE OF STORIES" - PBS, ITVS, Award-winning multimedia website (also Producer, Editor)
"CRITICAL CONDITION"- Public Policy Productions - POV, PBS  (Co-Producer, Co-Director) 
NM DEPT OF HEALTH - "Day One" and "Day Two" video series for new parents ( also Writer/Editor)
SOLUTION BASED CASEWORK - Training videos for foster care social workers and families
Picture
At Sundance Film Festival premiering "SHAKESPEARE BEHIND BARS"
Picture
On the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation shooting "HOMELAND"
FESTIVALS, HONORS AND AWARDS [ selected ]
World Premiere, SXSW - '"Meow Wolf: Origin Story"
Grand Jury Award - "Meow Wolf: Origin Story" - Las Cruces Film Festival
Best Documentary Feature, "Meow Wolf: Origin Story" - Las Cruces Film Festival
Best Feature "Meow Wolf: Origin Story" - El Paso Media Fest
Sundance Film Festival, Documentary Competition, “Shakespeare Behind Bars”
Best in Show, Bend Film Festival, Bend OR, “Shakespeare Behind Bars”
Special Jury Prize, Independent Film Fest of Boston, “Shakespeare Behind Bars”
Audience Award for Best Documentary, Orinda Film Fest, “Shakespeare Behind Bars”
Best Documentary, Ojai Film Festival, “Shakespeare Behind Bars”
Best Documentary, Bethel Film Fest, “Shakespeare Behind Bars”
Best Documentary Award, Bluegrass Independent Film Festival, “Shakespeare Behind Bars”
Director’s Choice Award, Bluegrass Independent Film Festival, “Shakespeare Behind Bars”
Best Feature Documentary, Fargo Film Fest, “Homeland”
Audience Award for Best Documentary, AFI FEST, “Homeland”
Best Short Documentary, Nashville Independent Film Festival, “Homeland”
Best Short Documentary, American Indian Film Festival, “Bless Me With a Good Life”
Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism, “Critical Condition”
Gold Remi Award - WorldFest Houston, “Critical Condition”
Best Documentary, PhilaFilm: International Film Festival, “Critical Condition”
Best Feature Documentary, Lake Erie Arts & Film Fest “Still Dreaming”
Best Documentary Audience Award Nominee, BendFilm “Still Dreaming”
​Excellence in Filmmaking - Sedona International Film Festival "Still Dreaming"
 
FELLOWSHIPS, RESIDENCIES
WISC, New Mexico Filmmaker's Academy
Sundance Institute, Documentary Lab, “Shakespeare Behind Bars”
Mesa Refuge Writer’s Fellowship, Point Reyes, California
 
JURIES [ selected ]
Juror, BendFilm
Judge, International Documentary Challenge
Judge, New Mexico Women in Film Fiesta
Juror, Roy Dean Film Grant, Los Angeles
Judge, Documentary, New Mexico Filmmaker’s Showcase
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Jilann Spitzmiller
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