Athens, Ga. – The University Union Student Programming Board at the University of Georgia will present a lecture by documentary filmmaker Andrew Jenks, host of the MTV series World of Jenks, on March 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Tate Student Center Grand Hall. Jenks was acclaimed as one of the next great American filmmakers at the 2010 International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam.
At age 16, Jenks founded the Hendrick Hudson Film Festival at his New York high school, securing actor James Earl Jones as the keynote speaker for the inaugural event. It has since become one of the largest high school film festivals in the United States.
While in college, Jenks moved into an assisted living facility, starring, directing, and producing the feature-length film Andrew Jenks, Room 335. HBO bought the rights to the film and released it in Europe and Australia. Variety magazine called it “…a lovely and genuine account of generational understanding.”
ESPN Films financed a second documentary in 2007, The Zen of Bobby V, which premiered at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival to critical and audience acclaim.
Jenks currently writes, produces and stars in the MTV series World of Jenks. In each episode, he cohabitates with a stranger to experience a week in their life; his subjects have included a homeless woman, a man with autism, a rapper, a professional poker player and an NFL cheerleader.
“I want to tell the stories of my generation. I want to be a filmmaker that is able to capture what my generation thinks, how they act and what they ultimately stand for,” he said.
Tickets are free for students with valid UGACards who pay activity fees on the Athens campus and $10 for non-students. They are available at the Tate Student Center Cashier Window, Mon. through Fri. from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
For more information, call 706/542-6396 or see www.uga.edu/union.
The University Union Student Programming Board is a registered student organization in the Department of Campus Life within UGA’s Division of Student Affairs.
