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Jeanne’s Bio & Awards |
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Jeanne McKinney - Writer, Producer, & Director |
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"With her talent, commitment, and ability to see and produce those things that will teach and strengthen an audience, it looks as though Jeanne McKinney’s name is one to watch in the motion picture industry." - Anne Bradshaw Meridian Magazine 2002. With over 20 years of industry experience, Jeanne is an award-winning Writer and Filmmaker. Her career spans from national corporate video and television, to theatrical film. With a mix of formal and private education, her free thinking and inventive style of writing are rooted in standard practices and acclaimed by industry professionals, peers, and executives. Believing ongoing education is essential in a highly competitive profession, Jeanne always has her head in a research book or tutorial. In 1998, Jeanne started writing screenplays - now 9 features, 4 shorts (produced), and one novel in development - original stories charged with pure positive purpose for all ages, cultures and ethnicities. She believes with all her heart that the power of cinema is unparalleled - with untapped potential to give audiences an unforgettable, morally clean cinematic experience. Her fiery passion and tenacious drive for quality has attracted Hollywood and independent producers, private investors, award-winning composers and directors, and accomplished actors to her projects. She's had the pleasure to work with artists and executives at companies including, Morgan Creek Productions, Nasser Entertainment, Sandman Studios, Whitelight Motion Pictures, Swan Animation, Silverscreen Music, Dalrymple Productions, Creative Chaos, artists Adrian Ropp and Eric Boden and Professor/producer Kelly Loosli (award-winning Brigham Young University School of Animation). The fruits of her writing and film work have won recognition, screenings, and awards in film festivals across the U.S. and in Canada, including San Diego, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Boston, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Idaho, New Jersey, and Toronto. Journalists talk about her and her work in both English and Spanish news publications, on network television, and on Internet news and trade magazine sites. Her |
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“The Ardanea Pendant”, Feature Screenplay, First Place, Fantasy/Sci-Fi, International Family Film Festival - Hollywood, CA - Mar 2008 |
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“Butterfly In Winter”, Screenplay Finalist, Salt Lake City Film Festival - Salt Lake City, UT - Aug 2002 |
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Screenwriting Awards |
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“Butterfly In Winter”, Screenplay, Third-Round Qualifier, RealHeART International Film Festival - Toronto, Canada - June 2008 |
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“City of Gold”, Screenplay Finalist, La Femme Film Festival - Beverly Hills, CA - Oct 2006 |
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“City of Gold”, Screenplay Finalist (Silver), International Family Film Festival - Valencia, CA - Apr 2003 |
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“City of Gold”, Screenplay Finalist, Salt Lake City Film Festival - Salt Lake City, UT - Aug 2002 |
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“Shattered Dreams”, Educational Short—Finalist, International Family Film Festival - Valencia, CA - Apr 2002 |
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“Shattered Dreams”, Educational Short—Finalist, Golden State International Family Film Festival - Manasquan, NJ - May 2002 |
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La Femme Film Festival: Beverly Hills, CA - Oct 2006 |
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REDCAT International Children's Film Festival at REDCAT: Los Angeles, CA Feb-Mar 2008 |
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San Diego Latino Film Festival: San Diego, CA - Mar 2007 |
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Cinema K: Children's Film Festival Seattle: Seattle, WA - Jan 2008 |
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Boston Latino Int'l Film Festival: Boston, MA - Oct 2007 & 2008 |
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Los Angeles Int'l Children's Film Festival: Los Angeles, CA - Oct 2007 |
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San Diego Int'l Children's Film Festival: Summer Session, Comic-Con - July 2007 |
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San Diego Int'l Children's Film Festival: San Diego, CA - Apr/May 2007 |
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San Diego Int'l Children's Film Festival: Summer Session, Comic-Con - July 2008 |
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Film Festivals |
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Dawn Wells’ Family Film Festival—Spudfest Take II - July/August 2008 |
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“The Ardanea Pendant”, Feature Screenplay Nominee, Best New Writer, Action On Film Film Festival - Pasadena, CA - July/August 2008 |
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maverick style of storytelling jumps out of Hollywood mainstream into new arenas - she doesn't run with the pack - but engraves her own statement in her writing - mirroring her global mission to offer more redeeming choices at the box office. More and more people are watching and listening as she ramps up expansion of her professional portfolio. Jeanne fulfills a promise to give back to the industry that she has gained from, when teaching writing classes or working on film projects with students of all ages. Treasured highlights - three epic scripts for the animated Eagle Warrior Trilogy are set in 16th century Mesoamerica. Her study of this time period has spanned over 8 years, including art, architecture, history, religion, trade, and foreign relations. She works tirelessly for the people of Mexico to bring the trilogy to the screen - to give them a film legacy to be proud of. Jeanne was touched when a student filmmaker finalist came up to her at one of her first screenings at the International Family Film Festival, saying, “You got my emotions going in thirty seconds—it took us thirty minutes to do it with our film.” She calls San Diego, California, her home, where she lives with her husband, son, and two dogs. |
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“War Training”, Screenplay Finalist, Latino Screenplay Competition - Los Angeles, CA - Jan 2008 (See “The Best Latino-Themed Screenplays” - last page or visit the National Association of Latino Independent Producers). |
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AVtek Productions |
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“The Ardanea Pendant”, Original Screenplay Nominee, International Film Festival Ireland - Clonmel, Tipperary, Ireland - September 2010 |
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“Enya ‘n’ Ewan”, Original Scene, First Round Finalist, Cyber Open - May 2010. Perfect score in originality, overall only 15 scenes scored higher out of 1183 entries. |
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Journalism Awards |
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39th ANNUAL EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS. October 23, 2012, Non Daily Newspapers: Military, 1st Place, “Patriot Profiles: It gave me a better chance of helping my brothers and sisters”, Carmel Valley News |
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40th ANNUAL EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS. October 29, 2013, Non Daily Newspapers: Military, 1st Place, “Rancho Santa Fe son brings valor home from Afghanistan”, Rancho Santa Fe Review |
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41st ANNUAL EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS, October 28, 2014 Non Daily Newspapers: Military, 1st Place, Patriot Profiles: ‘Turning the corner on America’s military’, Rancho Santa Fe Review; 3rd place, Patriot Profiles: ‘It’s like a human game of chess’, Carmel Valley News |
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42nd ANNUAL EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS, October 27, 2015 Non Daily Newspapers: Military, 2nd Place, Patriot Profiles: ‘We were seriously alone and unafraid up there’, 3rd place, Patriot Profiles: ‘Nobody gets into my security zone’, Rancho Santa Fe Review |
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44th ANNUAL EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS, October 24, 2017 Online and Daily Newspapers: Military, 2nd Place, USS Carl Vinson Strike Group pivotal in Asia-Pacific rebalance of forces |
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43rd ANNUAL EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS. October, 2016, Non Daily Newspapers: Military, 1st Place, Patriot Profiles: ‘I vowed that I would make the world a better place’ Voice and Viewpoint, 3rd Place, Patriot Profiles: ‘Army Trials awaken a new kind of courage’, Del Mar Times |