Alan Jacobs -- Editor

Alan Jacobs received his B.A. (English Literature) and M.F.A. (Film) from Columbia University in New York. He is a founding trustee of the Sundance Institute, an original Board member of the Independent Feature Project, and a former Trustee of the American Film Institute. His independent film and video production company, The Film Foundry Inc., is a signatory at the Writers Guild of America.

As an independent documentary filmmaker in New York City, Alan has produced, directed, and/or edited over 20 films for: NY Newsreel; National Endowment for the Arts; WNET and PBL (public television); Carnegie Foundation; Bank Street College of Education; Educational Alliance; Southern Christian Leadership Conference; United States Information Agency; and the U.S. Air Force.

Alan’s film“Studs Terkel: At Home on the Air” received a citation at the Chicago Film Festival. “Wishes, Lies and Dreams” received a citation from the White House Conference on Children. “Only the Beginning” was selected “Best Foreign Film” at the Moscow Film Festival.

Transitioning to Los Angeles and the mainstream film and television industry, Alan had a first look deal with Sydney Pollack to develop and produce moderately budgeted narrative feature films. The film that emerged, Running Out (with Walter Matthau and Ellen Burstyn), led to a long-term relationship with Hallmark Entertainment where as Senior Vice-President in charge of the LA office, Alan set up, developed and produced many feature films for major network and cable television. Respective casts included: Richard Dean Anderson, Clint Black, Peter Coyote, Timothy Dalton, Blythe Danner, Lou Gossett, Joe Mantegna, Elizabeth McGovern, Kathleen Quinlan, Rick Schroder, Tom Sizemore, and Billy Zane.

Alan currently teaches documentary production, advanced narrative production, and screenwriting at California State University, Long Beach He continues to be actively involved in his own documentary production and in the development of feature films for television.