Seeking Mavis Beacon
Guests Expected
Director Jazmin Renée Jones, producer Guetty Felin, associate producer Olivia Ross, cinematographer/editor Yeelen Cohen, and sound recordist/designer Joakim Cohen are expected to attend
Description
What ever happened to Mavis Beacon? That guiding question propels two intrepid electronic sleuths, Jazmin and Olivia, who dive into the cosmos as they hunt for the woman of Haitian descent who became the face of the 1980s-era popular educational software Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. Through dynamic “desktop cinema,” observational footage, and interviews with artists, writers, and software designers, the investigation lifts the veil on how Mavis’s persona came to be. While highlighting ethical questions regarding representation, the film slowly becomes a celebration of glitch art’s legacy as a means for underrepresented people to deconstruct and reclaim notions of Queerness and Racialization. A spellbinding cyberspace adventure, Jazmin Renée Jones’s inquisitive directorial debut expands ideas around feminism and digital selfdom, while also portraying the importance of tender, healing friendship in a complex world.
Film Community Partner
Jazmin Renée Jones began her filmmaking journey while growing up in Fremont when she got involved with a Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) after school program. While studying at the New School, she worked as a producer/editor on music videos and commercials. She later worked for Marie Claire, taking the role of the publication’s entire video department. She makes her feature debut with Seeking Mavis Beacon.
Film Details
Language English, Haitian Creole
Year 2024
Premiere California
Runtime 103
Country USA
Director Jazmin Renée Jones
Executive Producer Tom Quinn, Dan O'Meara, Kate Gondwe
Producer Guetty Felin
Editor Jon Fine, Jazmin Jones, Yeelen Cohen
Cinematographer Yeelen Cohen
Print Source Neon
Closed Captions Closed Captions are confirmed for this program
Audio Description Audio Descriptions are not yet confirmed for this program
American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation American Sign Language Interpretation is scheduled for the BAMPFA screening of this film
