Life & Work with Joe Jennings Jr.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Jennings Jr..

Hi Joe, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I moved to L.A. from Atlanta to pursue screenwriting in 2005, I ended up working on dozens of shows as a Production Assistant. On the set of New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, I met my production partner, Sean Freelon and we created Blinded By Ambition Entertainment, a company comprised of two screenwriters turned filmmakers. We co-wrote, produced an indie film together, titled “Trapped.” It was considered a filmmaking “learning curve,” the do’s and dont’s of filmmaking wrapped up in 77 minutes of digital video (the film was shot in DV right when HD was becoming a thing).

After the film failed to generate a distribution deal, we ended up with a pile of scripts that only our literary manager would read, and before you know it, I was back in Atlanta, starting over again.

In 2017, I jumped back on the saddle, writing and directing my first short, ‘A Leg Up.’ The following year I wrote and directed my second short, “Change.” And in 2021 my third film, #ISFJ, was intended to be a web pilot, but instead we made it a short film.

Today, those three films combined have been featured in over 100 film festivals worldwide, and garnished over 30 awards, including: Best Director, Best Comedy & Best Ensemble Cast. I am currently writing my first feature film titled, “Nephew,” which will be produced by Blinded By Ambition Entertainment. I will also direct with my real life nephew, @1Saynate, co-starring with an unnamed star.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road! (laughs)

Finding the time to create while ‘adulting’ is always an obstacle (laughs)! Earlier in our careers, Sean and I received a lot of “no’s” from other Production Companies, Agencies, Management Teams, Distribution Houses…I mean you name it. Even though we had a lot of contacts in the business, we learned the hard way that we had to do it ourselves.

Another major hurdle is FINANCING. We finance our own projects but that is a huge sacrifice in itself. Sometimes bills go unpaid just to make sure you can pay an editor, or a DP (Director Of Photography). Films are very expensive to make, and for indie filmmakers, there’s always putting some ‘skin in the game’ when it comes to financing.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a Filmmaker who writes and directs his own films. Our first film, ‘A Leg Up,’ is a multi-award winning film and our most critically acclaimed film to date. It’s brutally honest and well acted, and has resonated with lots of people in this day and age. A father (Phoenix Washington), challenges his son (Christopher Smith) one-on-one to know the difference between building wealth and consumerism in a greed-driven America.

My second film, “Change,” follows a young woman (Jamila Gray) entering adulthood with the notion that her education has failed her to understand how the world really works. Her mother (Karen Duvall), tries to convince her that the world is politically driven, despite her beliefs that it isn’t.

#ISFJ is a situational comedy about a group of friends that stumble upon a secret that could ruin one friend’s marriage. Drex (Phoenix Washington), who’s married to Carla (Jocelyn Wingard) learns that his wife could be hiding something from him that his good friend Chris (Todd Daniel), has stumbled upon on social media. Their other friend, Fred (Fred Thornton), doesn’t want him to know. This one was based on real life events.

I think what sets me apart is that I like to write ‘truthful dialogue,’ with the intent that it will help someone get through something, or spark healthy debates between viewers.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is that people watch our content and feel more informed, relieved, or rejuvenated than when they came in. Film is a powerful medium, and it can be used to either build or destroy. I’m into building. People need hope, man. The world is a fractured place right now, and during the toughest of times, films have always been used to inspire people.

That’s my goal.

Hopefully, audiences will get that ‘small something that gets them through’ or ‘something to help them thrive’ from our films. Everybody needs a push these days. One love.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @joe.jenningsjr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068489642411
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@blindedbyambitionent.7871