ATLFF Alumni Spotlight: Jenna Kanell
Man, there are moments when I have the greatest job in the world. I’ve seen films and then realized I was sitting next to one of the stars (SING, SING, and Clarence Maclin). I’ve even met iconic filmmakers who’ve made a few of my favorites, and I’m sure some of yours, too (Francis Ford Coppola and Bill Duke).
And I’ve interviewed Jenna Kanell.
First, true story: we had to push this interview several times due to scheduling conflicts and my son getting sick. The night before the interview, Georgia was about to be hit by Hurricane Helene. I emailed Jenna asking if we could reschedule because my son would be with me, and conducting an interview with a two-year-old isn’t exactly conducive to an in-depth conversation. Fortunately, Jenna could not because she was leaving the next day for quite a long time. I say fortunately cause it forced me to make it work. And I am glad I did.
Why?
Well, here is my conversation with the sensational writer, director, producer, and kick-ass action star Jenna Kanell!
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Keith
Hi! Everyone, and welcome once again to the Atlanta Film Festival Alumni Spotlight with me, your host, Keith Hannigan.
I am here today with a very special guest. All our guests are exceptional, but this one is extraordinary because of what we've been through.
So, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and children of all ages, I would love to introduce my guest today. She is an Atlanta Film Festival alumnus from last year's festival for her film FACELESS AFTER DARK, which she co-wrote and starred in. I give you Jenna Kanell. Jenna, welcome to the Atlanta Film Festival Alumni Spotlight.
Jenna
Thank you so much, Keith. I'm excited to be here.
KH
Well, thank you for your infinite patience with all the anxiety-fueled emails you have received from me. Speaking of anxiety, my son is watching INSIDE OUT 2 for the third time in 12 hours. What movie have you seen more than any other?
JK
There is a science fiction film. It's a low-budget, high-concept film called COHERENCE. I could watch that thing again and again. It is so good. It's very low in production quality, but the story is so good that it doesn't matter. And I'm a total fanboy of it. I love it so much; it's so well done.
Keith
Why?
JK
The story is incredible. A lot of it is improv. I've read a lot about how it was shot and listened to a lot of interviews with the director, Jim Byrkit. I've actually reached out to him because I really want to work with him, and we've corresponded a little bit. But my favorite thing about it is that it accomplishes so much in terms of conceptual ideas without any special effects. It doesn't rely on CGI.
It's sci-fi. But all of that is based in the story, and it's so cleverly done. It's a masterclass in what you can accomplish without breaking the budget. It shows that a good story will make up for a lot of things.
Your script is the foundation for the entire world you'll build. There’s a saying that you really can't fix most things in post; you should fix them in pre.
KH
Well, speaking of storytelling, you're a hell of a storyteller. That is one of the reasons why you're here, my friend.
Speaking of which, can you tell me how you came to do FACELESS AFTER DARK? What was it like to be part of the Atlanta Film Festival? And what has happened since then?
JK
This was my second time having a film at the festival. The first time was early in the pandemic, when it (the festival) was at the drive-in, which was a lot of fun but obviously a totally different experience.
It was fun, but I did miss the sense of community I got from the festival. I directed a short film called BLISS IS ORANGE, a romantic comedy Sci-fi that played several years ago. But this one (FACELESS AFTER DARK) was more like the festival experience.
FACELESS AFTER DARK was a ton of fun. I became involved because Raymond Wood, the director, approached me. He told me that he had a financier who came to him and said, “If you can make a thriller or a horror clown movie, I will fund it.” So Ray came to me, and the writer I co-wrote this with, Todd Jacobs, and asked if we could write him a clown movie. If you know anything about my body of work, my initial instinct was another one. Really? I don't want to get stuck doing clown movies. You know? I'm proud of the ones that I have done. But there are other lanes I want to be in. I'm referencing TERRIFIER. I'm the protagonist in the original.
But Todd and I asked each other, "How can we approach this as a fun challenge and write a clown movie that we would want to see and enjoy? That's different from any of the ones that we've seen?" So we approached it as a thriller rather than a straight horror, especially because Ray is a huge fan of David Fincher. We wanted it to have a lot of these meta elements. We wanted to draw from things I'd experienced and observed about the culture around some of these things.
On top of that, we wanted a story that is a descent into madness, where you're watching the protagonist become the antagonist. I joke that my pitch for the film was as though Travis Bickel, from TAXI DRIVER, was the protagonist of PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN.
So, it flips everything on its head. It starts in one direction and then takes it in a completely different one. If anyone listening or watching is going to watch it, I don't want to say too much more because it's more fun when you have no idea what you're walking into.
The festival experience was fantastic. We sold out the house and packed the main theater in the Plaza (Theatre). It was a enthusiastic crowd of new friends, old friends, peers, and colleagues. And everyone was really responsive.
It was a great and fun experience because it premiered at FrightFest in London last year, which was also incredible. There were 50-foot IMAX screens and over 700 people in the theater. It was nuts. And we played all over the world after that. And so it was this nice button towards the end of our festival experience to celebrate it with our community and all the people who helped make it, from development to principal photography to post-production. It was all done here in Atlanta. So it was nice to celebrate it with everyone who helped make it happen.
KH
And what was the response afterward?
JK
People really loved it. It's not what people are expecting, and it's different from what a lot of people think they're going into. I've noticed this in a lot of people's feedback and reviews that I've read. Everyone either absolutely loves it or absolutely hates it, which is, in many ways, the best response you can possibly have to a film. I would rather someone hate something I've made than feel apathetic towards it because if I've made you feel anything, I've done my job as an artist. So, the responses have been very divisive. It's been fun to watch.
KH
I love that because it’s an artist's job to make you feel. It doesn't matter what you're feeling or experiencing; I just need to get you to emote. Then I've done my job.
It's like having an antagonist you despise. Because if they got you to feel that strongly, they did one hell of a job.
JK
Exactly. And even if it just makes you think, I’ve seen films where I felt like I didn't like them after turning them off. But I keep thinking about them for days. Even if I didn't love this film, they did their job.
KH
This is why we adore this medium, why people are watching it, why people go to the movies, and why AI will never take over filmmaking. They can't do what we do.
JK
Yeah, AI don't have trauma.
Keith
That's a great response. I’m gonna steal that!
JK
You're more than welcome to! And you're absolutely right. I don't just make films; I'm a huge fan of films. I love watching films and when I'm drawn to feeling and having this collective experience. This is why we consume art.
KH
And speaking of you, you just went to Mexico.
JK
Yes, so that was actually our last festival.
KH
What was that like?
JK
I had so much fun. It was amazing. They are huge genre fans down there. It was in Mexico City, and they loved it. A lot of them are TERRIFIER fans. A lot of them are RENFIELD fans. And they balled so hard for this movie. It was just a very welcoming, enthusiastic, friendly community. It was a great way to sort of end the experience.
KH
So, as you can see, there will not be any chronological conversation because I'm going to jump way back.
JK
Nonlinear storytelling. Let's do it.
KH
I'm sure there was a moment when you watched something, whether on a small or big screen, and you were just captivated, like, "I wanna do this." For me, it was the movie GOODFELLAS. It may be half Italian in me. Who knows? There was a point when I wanted to be a member of the Mafia with the nickname Keithybagodonut. It's weird, whatever. I’m just glad it wasn’t BOOGIE NIGHTS. Which I adore. But what was it for you?
JK
I remember one of the early ones. I mean, I've been telling stories in some form or another my whole life, and I've always been curious about people and the world.
But I remember two films stand out as early on, sort of like you're saying the initial sort of spider-bite of it all. One of them was the FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING—Peter Jackson's first film in the LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY.
I remember feeling so swept up in this world. I have read books, but obviously, the books are so vast and fantastical. I remember there was a comedown. It felt like coming off of a drug, where, after I left the theater, the real world was a letdown after what I had just been through.
So that was the first time I felt like, "I want to." I want to cheat. I want to live more lives than I'm going to get in this one life. I want more experiences than I can in the real world. I remember seeing it with my Dad. He made us get to the theater 40 minutes early because he was so excited and made me pee five times before it started. So that I wouldn't miss anything. And so it was also the bonding experience between him and me.
The other one was a couple of years later. I remember seeing EDWARD SCISSORHANDS for the first time. Similar, but in a different way. I remember I was kind of depressed for a couple of days after I saw that film. And I must have been 13 or something, and. I just remember feeling so much. It's what we were talking about, right where it's this one-and-a-half-hour experience that strangers can bring out of us and remind us how alive we are. I remember that that didn't leave me alone.
KH
By the way, my wife would love you. You just mentioned two of her favorite things in the world: Tim Burton and Peter Jackson. So, where did you go from there? How did you get into this world?
JK
As a little kid, I told stories before I could even write. My brother has several disabilities and special needs, so he requires a lot of extra therapy and care. So, when he was younger, I spent much time alone, which I filled with telling stories and entertaining myself. I had these little animal figurines that I would tell stories with. Once I learned how to write, I started writing, and I got a writing scholarship to Pace University in New York, where I was going to attend. I didn't end up going to school at all. Instead I jumped into the deep end of all of this. But in high school, I remember being an extra on a film for the first time.
I remember feeling more of a sense of belonging than I ever had in school because I deeply value education. But I consider myself an autodidact. I like to learn by doing. I like to learn by teaching myself, reading, and doing piecemeal education rather than in a classic classroom. I have more trouble in that sort of one-size-fits-all setting.
(My son made a loud crashing sound, and I had to check on him)
So, yeah, I remember looking around. And it was this big studio film. And I was just at the bottom of the totem pole. And I remember looking around and thinking, here is this Army working for a common goal. And everyone's job is so specialized. And if you haven't been in a film, you don't realize how many jobs and opportunities there are, and it was so cool to be in the circus.
After that I went to Los Angeles, and I got a ton of training. I did improv training at the four big schools out there and took acting classes. I just got into the world, experienced life, and started working as an actor.
Funny though was the fact I’d been doing martial arts my whole life and continued that out there. Someone pointed out I’m actually doing stunts, which I'd never thought of. I thought I had to be on fire falling from a hundred-story building to do stunts, and you don't realize how many things are technically stunts. So, I started doing that specific training, and I ended up rebranding myself as an action actor who does their own stunts. Then, a couple of years later, I got into the production side of things. So, I made my directorial debut in a short film called BUMBLEBEES. I did a TEDx talk about it if anyone's curious.
I made it with my brother. It ended up doing well, playing all over the place, and winning a lot of awards. We ended up speaking at Harvard Medical School together, and I remember thinking, maybe I should do more of this. This was fun and rewarding, and I am proud of the story we told together. I have a voice that can contribute to the directing world and the writing world. So then, to learn more about doing that, I spent several years as a 1st Assistant Director. I got a ton of experience and tried to learn how the whole machine worked.
Since then, I have directed about 17 short projects. I'm now prepping to direct my first feature.
KH
Well, you're the first person I've ever talked to who has actually given a TED Talk. So now I'm more intimidated by this. But it's fine, I will persevere.
JK
I believe in you.
KH
Appreciate you. Is there a preference for writing, producing, or acting?
JK
I genuinely don't have one. I love all of them. It depends on the project. There are some characters with so much meat to them, so much Vegan meat in my case, that I want to just sink my teeth into who they are and what their story is, and I don't want to be in charge of the entire vision. And then there are other stories where I do. I want to have more autonomy regarding how the story is told and a specific voice. So it depends on the project, but I love all of it so much.
KH
Is there a piece of advice you would give anybody looking to start, whether they want to be a writer, producer, or action actor? And what is something you would tell them never to do?
JK
That is great, especially the latter half of that. I haven't answered it before, so I'll answer the easier part first. You should get on set any way you can. Everyone should have to do at least one to several extra jobs as a background actor or many production assistant jobs. Everyone should have to work in that capacity. If you're at the bottom of the hierarchy and still love it, that's how you know love is real. It's also a great thing to do because then you get a fuller picture of how everything actually works. I learned so much about directing from ADing.
Often, the people I find it most challenging to work with are the ones who have only been in their lane because they have less of an understanding of how everything works and are a little more entitled. Get on set in every way you can and soak it in. You can have a PA in whatever department interests you. My version of college was getting on set and just watching, learning, and taking it all in.
And then what would I say not to do? That's harder only because there are so many more answers for that one. Never lose your learner mindset. Regardless of how little or how much experience or schooling you have had, never lose your attitude of wanting to learn and be better because there will always be someone who is more experienced than you and who knows more than you do, which is a gift. Don't be defensive.
KH
That's a wonderful piece of advice. Don’t let hubris, arrogance, or ignorance take over. Always choose to learn. I do have to ask you, what is the dream? You’re a dreamer, so what is your dream?
JK
I love that because it's true. Everyone on set, from the the grip and electric team to the set builders to the construction workers to the pagers to transpo: We're all in this cause we're dreamers. I dream of continuing to level up as an action actor and becoming like Keanu Reeves or Tom Cruise, but slightly more female. I want to have an interesting and fun career in addition to acting and telling stories that I care about and think are important to people whose voices I value and want to uplift.
At the same time, I want to continue writing and directing stories that I care about. I like switching back and forth between independent film and studio projects. I really like having both because each world offers a different kind of freedom, and I value what both offer.
KH
Is there a preference between the studio and independent films?
JK
No, it really depends. On studio films, you have more money and time, but there're also a lot more cooks in the kitchen, and there's a lot more oversight, and everything is much more specialized. It's also safer. It's better paying. I mean, I love having health insurance. Plus, you get to work with people you've admired for a long time.
As you know, an independent film costs less money and time. But you have a lot more say; everyone has more say. There's a lot more autonomy. And so it's it's a trade-off. And I really, really do love going back and forth.
If I had a dream role, there are two. One would be in the unnecessary, inevitable remake of the original ALIEN. I want to be Ripley. And the other is when they one day remake the original MUMMY, I want them to gender-flip the roles, and I want to be Brendan Fraser's character.
KH
Love that. You only have one sibling, your brother.
JK
Yes.
KH
Older or younger?
JK
He's my baby brother. I say, baby, he's a foot taller than I am. He's in his late twenties, but. He's my baby brother.
KH
What is it like to work with your brother?
JK
I love working with him. He's a really talented guy, a really good person, and so unique. Like I said, the first short I ever made that I wrote and directed was with him. It's called BUMBLEBEES.
We made it for the Disability Film Challenge, and it ended up playing all over the world and being incorporated into many specialty education programs and curricula. I'm so proud of it. Since then, I've directed a ton of stuff. But the most recent is a short film called SPRAY BOTTLE, which comes out next year. That one is very different, but I also made it with my brother, and it's been so long—almost a decade since we made BUMBLEBEES. It's cool to work with each other again, and he's not an actor. He doesn't care about acting, which makes him an excellent actor. And this one, I, after having directed for years and years, was actually in front of the camera at the same time. So, on SPRAY BOTTLE, I wrote and directed it. I'm one of the producers, and I also acted alongside my brother and, of course, did my own stunts as usual.
That was my first time on both sides of the camera, and it wouldn't have been possible without our fantastic team. I do not recommend anybody start out doing that. You should train in both lanes before you do them both at once.
But it was so much fun working with him. I wrote the role for him. In the film, we play siblings, and I think we're pretty believable in casting and chemistry. It's an action comedy. It's totally different from what we made before, and it's much more like the early Edgar Wright style. It's HOT FUZZ meets GOOD TIME: the Robert Pattinson, A24 movie with the Safdie Brothers. My brother trusts me a lot, which I don't take for granted. I don't think he would necessarily be as comfortable on a set if I wasn't there, and he trusts me being in charge. And he’s just willing to walk into battle with me. And obviously, that means a lot to anyone who's ever worked on any set I've run. It means a lot when people are willing to walk into battle with you, but especially for him because, among many of his other challenges, he has, he's very autistic.
A set is a nightmare in terms of sensory overload and overstimulation. It's a lot to ask of somebody, and obviously, we were extremely considerate, thoughtful, and mindful about how we approached that. We adjusted how we shot and worked with him to make it more sensitive to his experience, which is not hard to do. It's super important to me that when you have a disabled character, they should be played by a disabled actor. And I feel strongly about that. It’s not that we molded someone to the role but that we molded the world for him. And there's a scene in it where we, he and I, are in a car and do a 180-degree spin. In the beginning, he was not having it. We had to do it seven times, and in the end, he asked to do it again. And now, whenever the film comes up, he talks about how cool that part was.
It meant a lot that he was literally and figuratively along for the ride.
KH
I love that you're living your dream and doing it with your family. I don't know how that feels, but I can imagine.
JK
Thank you.
KH
So cheers to you and bravo, and I'm sure your brother just loves his big sister.
JK
He does. He thinks I'm way cooler than I am. And I appreciate you saying that because it does mean a lot. And it's also funny because, you know, nepotism is everywhere in film and in general. I don't have any family members in the business, but I got to do a nepotism, which was fun.
KH
You mentioned a couple of things that you're working on now. What's going on with you these days?
JK
Yeah, so FACELESS AFTER DARK has been distributed. It's under Dark Sky Films. You can buy it on Blu-ray or stream it on Amazon Prime or PlutoTV.
SPRAY BOTTLE comes out next year. We won the Vanishing Angle Post Grant. They're a fantastic production company out in Los Angeles, and I've been working with them. I'm in their writers' lab and working with them on developing the feature version.
I'm working with Thang Ho on getting this lower-budget sci-fi feature off the ground. If you're into this sort of thing, I act and do stunts in BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE. So, there’s that. I have a tiny role in RED ONE, The Rock and Chris Evans movie. But I don't know if I made the cut yet. Hopefully, I did. In the meantime, there's all this other stuff to get excited about.
KH
I'm gonna ask you a lame question and forgive me. Who's your favorite movie star that you've worked with thus far?
JK
My answer is so easy that I instantly know: Nicholas Cage. It's been a dream of mine to work with him, and I love his work. Regardless of your thoughts, he's so committed to anything he's ever done. That guy goes for it, makes strong choices, and is always entertaining and exciting to watch.
So I worked with him on RENFEILD, the Chris McKay-directed movie with Nicholas Hoult about Dracula and codependence. I acted and did stunts in that, and it was a ton of fun. And yeah, I just remember I met Nicholas Cage at the table read, and they sat me next to him, and I was just trying so hard to be cool about it.
I was jumping out of my skin because I was excited to listen to him try on the voice and watch him play because he's so experimental with his work. It was a masterclass in and of itself. I had to remind myself that I was also on camera and needed to be acting. I couldn't just be, you know, watching him the whole time.
KH
Jenna, what would you be doing in your life if you weren't doing this?
JK
If I had, you know, fallen on my face, I still could, figuratively and literally, I would be in the field of forensics. I studied forensics in high school. I went to four live autopsies. Forensics is fascinating. And it's because it's essentially storytelling in reverse. Forensics is, here's the ending. How did we get here? You know, it's like an early Chris Nolan movie.
Keith
So, were you a big CSI fan?
Jenna
No, I wasn't a big CSI fan. I watched a lot of the First 48, which is like the real deal, much more grotesque and harder to watch. But I loved it. That and a show called Dr. G. Medical Examiner. It was also a show that was on, like a documentary style.
KH
Is there anything that you would like to share with any of us?
JK
It's important to remember that no film is made in a vacuum; no film is made alone. Filmmaking is a team sport. It's better when we work together, respect each other, collaborate openly, and hire inclusively.
We have to remember that it's a collaborative medium. At the same time, while art is incredibly important, creating media of any kind in society carries a big responsibility And it’s not brain surgery. It's never worth someone getting hurt. It's never worth completely losing yourself over.
Take it seriously, but not too seriously, like life.
KH
That's perfect. For anybody who wants to stay current with you, is the best way to follow you on Instagram?
JK
That's right. Yeah, @Squidthusiast. I'm that on Twitter (X) and Threads as well, but I'm the most active on Instagram.
KH
Thank you so very much for everything you just shared with us. Thank you for being extremely patient with me. I’m so blessed to have had this time with you. When we meet people like you, I really want the audience to understand this. The person I'm talking to right now is a good person—clearly, a good person—and some of us unfortunately know that not everybody in this industry is.
So we have to lift up, not tear down. We have to find people like you to look up to, emulate, and aspire to be. So,again, thank you for being you, and keep on keeping on!
JK
Keith, you're going to make me cry. It's only noon on Thursday, and you come like, "Oh, my gosh, thank you!" Thank you so much.
Keith
Thank YOU, Jenna! This has been another edition of the Atlanta Film Festival Alumni Spotlight.
If you’re a filmmaker who has been a part of the Atlanta Film Festival, I would love to interview you and try to make you cry.
You can email me at keith@atlantafilmfestivalcom.
You can follow us at the Atlanta Film Festival on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. And please contribute to our Seed & Spark campaign to help us support independent films and independent filmmakers. There are so many stories out there that, when told to you, will inspire you, move you, and do everything you never thought imaginable for you. We just need to have a platform for them. And with your contributions, the ATLFF promises to be that for as long as they let us!
To be continued...
Cheers,
-k