Jenna A. Bush
JENNA A. BUSH
Documentary Editor
Jenna A. Bush is an award winning documentary editor and Karen Schmeer Editing Fellow. As a member of the disability community, she is consistently striving for greater representation both on screen and in the edit room. Jenna was on the edit team for the Emmy Winning film PATRICE: THE MOVIE (Hulu/ABCNews Studios), which highlights disability rights and marriage inequality. Additional credits include KIDS LIKE ME, FENCING FOR THE EDGE, and MALLORY. Jenna's short documentary, HELLO TO JULIA, which she also produced and directed, screened at the Woodstock International Film Festival and received awards from various festivals including Best Editing. Her short MINOR DETAILS also received multiple accolades and aired on NJTV for many years.
Why Film?
Films inspire within us a sense of connection and a feeling of possibility. They play a vital role in shaping how 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. As I struggled to relate to 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 life - 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. Films unite 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. The best documentaries do not tell us how to think, but rather challenge us to self reflect. 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 expanding my own capacity for understanding.