Degrees: BFA, 1986, SUNY Coll Purchase

Bio:

Bill Jennings feature film Harlem Aria (2000) starring Damon Wayans and Paul Sorvino is the winner of The Chicago International Film Festival Audience Favorite Award, The Urbanworld Film Festival Audience Award, The Pan African Film Festival Audience Award and a special commendation from the Maryland Film Festival. It was the Centerpiece Selection of the National Black Arts Festival, an official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival and the Munich International Film Festival among others. Harlem Aria was distributed in several countries including Germany, United Kingdom and France. It is scheduled for release in the Unites States in February 2008

As a member of the Director's Guild of America, Bill worked as an Assistant Director on major studio films such as Clean Slate, Airheads, Beverly Hills Cop III, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, New Jack City, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, Storyville, and Boomerang. He also worked as an Assistant Director on the television series Saturday Night Live, The Cosby Mysteries, Central Park West, New York Undercover, Prince Street and Dellaventura.

His original screenplay Welcome to Mayfield was optioned by Cataland Films and Larger Than Life Productions, which produced Seabiscuit, Dave and Big among others.

Mr. Jennings collaborated on the screenplay adaptation the Chester Himes novel End of the Primitive for Two Point One Films. The Independent Feature Project selected this screenplay to present for international financing in Rotterdam. This screenplay was also a finalist in the Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Lab. Mr. Jennings is also attached to direct.

Recent writing projects include an adaptation of the Victor Pelevin novel Buddha’s Little Finger for Intrinsic Value and Go East Productions of Moscow, Russia. The screenplay received the Berlin Medienboard Development Grant.

He also completed a commissioned original screenplay biography of the famed Russian Poet Alexander Pushkin. That project is currently in development.

Mr. Jennings along with his partner, Celeste Joseph Jennings secured a development deal from MTV Networks “N” to develop their original series proposal The Boot.

Mr. Jennings graduated from the Film Conservatory at Purchase College and the Director’s Guild of America Training Program.