Video History Project

People

Ken Jacobs

I was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1933. After completion of high school, I went into the Coast Guard for two years. The GI Bill enabled me to study painting at various schools and to study film at CUNY, but it wasn't until I began studying painting with Hans Hofmann, 1956-57, that I felt that I was studying with someone who had something to teach.

I created/directed The Millennium Film Workshop, NYC in 1966-68; I started the Dept. of Cinema at SUNY at Binghamton, 1969; I became Professor of Cinema 1974-2000 and Distinguished Prof. of Cinema 2000; and Distinguished Prof. of Cinema Emeritus, 2002.

Grants and Awards: D.A.A.D. 1986; Maya Deren Award 1994; J.S. Guggenheim Fellowship 1995; N.E.A. 1995; The Rockefeller Foundation special grant 1999, NYFA 2001, 2010; NYSCA 2001, 2007, 2009; NYSCA distribution grant 2002; Fund for Jewish Documentary Filmmaking 2003; Stan Brakhage Vision Award 2004; Los Angeles Film Critics Association -The Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video Award 2004 (for "Star Spangled To Death"); renew media (Rockefeller Foundation grant 2007; Oberhausen prize of the Jury of the Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, May 2007; awarded Great Prize -15th Curtas Vila do Conde, Portugal, July 2007; Gran Prix (one of three) 25 FPS Festival, Zagreb, Croatia, October 2007; awarded Best Experimental short film Curta Cinema, Dec. 2007, 2008 Rio De Janeiro Int. Short Film Fest.; "Tom, Tom, The Piper's Son" named to the National Film Registry, Dec. 27, 2007; National Society Of Film Critics Annual Awards of 2008 awarded "RAZZLE DAZZLE The Lost World" Best Experimental Film; free 103 point 9 grant, 2010.

Cite this record

"Ken Jacobs." Video History Project, Experimental Television Center, 2011. https://www.videohistoryproject.org/ken-jacobs.

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Summary

Ken Jacobs, born Brooklyn, NY in 1933, served two years in the Coast Guard and used the GI Bill to study painting and film; he studied painting with Hans Hofmann in 1956–57. He created and directed The Millennium Film Workshop, NYC (1966–68), founded the Dept. of Cinema at SUNY Binghamton in 1969 and held the Professor of Cinema (1974–2000), Distinguished Professor (2000) and Emeritus (2002) titles. His grants and awards include D.A.A.D. 1986; Maya Deren Award 1994; Guggenheim and NEA 1995; Rockefeller Foundation and numerous NYFA, NYSCA and festival prizes 1999–2010; Tom, Tom, The Piper's Son was named to the National Film Registry on Dec. 27, 2007.

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Last modified 18 June 2011

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