Draft:Janet Pierson
Film producer and festival curator
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Janet Pierson is a film producer, film festival programmer, and curator. She served as Director of the SXSW Film & TV Festival from 2008 to 2023.[1] She has also worked as a producer and producer’s representative on independent film projects.[2]
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Janet Pierson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1957 (age 68–69) New Jersey |
| Occupations | producer, writer |
| Notable work | SXSW Film Festival |
Early life and education
Janet Pierson was born in 1957 in New Jersey. She later moved to Westchester County, New York. She studied at Hampshire College from 1973 to 1975 and graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1977.[3]
Career
Pierson has worked in independent film exhibition, producing, and representation. In the late 1970s, she became Director of the Canyon Cinema Distribution Cooperative. She also worked in public relations and served as an assistant director with the San Francisco Repertory Company and Film Forum in New York.[2] From 1985 onward, she collaborated on a range of independent film projects, including work as an investor and producer’s representative on films such as She’s Gotta Have It, Roger & Me, Slacker, and Clerks.[4] In 1994, Pierson became co-president of Grainy Pictures.[5] She was a co-creator and executive producer of the Independent Film Channel (IFC) television series *Split Screen* (1997–2000).[6] From 2002 to 2003, she lived in Taveuni, Fiji, where she assisted in operating a local cinema. This experience was documented in the film *Reel Paradise* (2005).[7]
SXSW Film & TV Festival
In 2008, Pierson was appointed Director of the SXSW Film Festival, succeeding Matt Dentler.[1] During her tenure, SXSW expanded its film and television programming, including the introduction of a dedicated episodic section in 2014.[8] Films that screened at SXSW during this period include *Short Term 12*, *Ex Machina*, *Bridesmaids*, *Booksmart*, and *Everything Everywhere All at Once*.[9] In 2009, the festival screened *Alexander the Last* concurrently with its video-on-demand release.[10]
Awards and recognition
Membership and advisory roles
Pierson has served on panels and juries for organizations including the British Film Institute, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Creative Capital.[13]
Personal life
Pierson has lived in Austin, Texas, since 2004. She married producer and author John Pierson in 1983. They have two children.[14]
Filmography
- Split Screen (1997–2000) – Co-creator (episodes 1–20), executive producer (episodes 1–66), segment director (select episodes)
- Reel Paradise (2005) – Executive producer; self
- Beeswax (2009) – Actress