Jenna A. Bush
JENNA A. BUSH
Documentary Editor
I am a documentary editor and writer with experience in features, shorts, and docu-series. I consider myself an intuitive storyteller and emotional translator. I credit my neurodivergence for my ability to recognize patterns and connections in raw footage and weave them together in a way that feels effortless. My heightened sensitivities and background in music lend a powerfully emotional, almost musical flow, to my edits. My experience as filmmaker for nonprofits continues to fuel my work in post-production as well. To this day I approach each project the same - by deeply immersing myself into the subject matter to fully grasp its essence so I can then capture and translate that essence through the language of film.
About My Work
I recently wrapped a 22-month venture as Writer/Editor on the feature FENCING FOR THE EDGE, which is currently in the film festival circuit. This was my second time writing and editing a feature, with MALLORY (Gravitas Ventures) being my first. I also recently enjoyed my time on a post-team as an Associate Editor for the feature PATRICE.
As a filmmaker, many of my short films have played in a variety of festivals and have received a handful of accolades over the years, including most recently a Best Editing award for HELLO TO JULIA. My shorts spotlight nonprofit organizations, usually disability related.
Other skills that have come in handy during my projects include art and graphic design, copywriting, copyediting, script-writing, basic web coding, basic 2D animation, basic 3D animation, and more.
Why film?
Films inspire within us a sense of connection and a feeling of possibility. They play a vital roll in shaping the way we relate to the world, each other, and our own internal selves.
As a young child my most profound experiences of emotional connection came from watching films. The magical combinations of stories and music would bring me to tears. As a teenager, films informed me that despite how I felt, I was not entirely alone in how I saw the world. I didn't know it at the time, but my brain was indeed different from my peers. Seeing glimpses of my emotional experiences represented on the big screen turned out to be a lifeline that kept me connected to the world.
As an adult, creating films enables me to share how I process the world- through story. It is how I internally organize the constant influx of excess information in my brain. Filmmaking connects me to the world. It provides me with an opportunity to explore alternate perspectives. It is a medium through which I can express the otherwise inexpressible and be felt by others. It unites viewers on a deep emotional level bringing human connection to new heights. For as long as we humans have lived, stories have been our primal means of teaching, sharing, and joining together in this sentient experience.
Why documentary?
Documentaries provide a sense of understanding and a deepening of empathy that one can usually only get by going through something first hand. Some of the best documentaries do not tell us how to think. Instead they challenge us to delve into our own inner depths to search for truth. Sometimes asking a question is more valuable than having an answer. This is why I do what I do: to challenge beliefs, foster new perspectives, amplify voices, and awaken compassion - all the while challenging my own capacity for understanding.