Jennifer Redfearn

In residence: July - August 2026

Jennifer Redfearn is an Academy Award–nominated and Emmy Award–nominated documentary filmmaker whose work explores the relationships between people, place, and the natural world. Her films are immersive and often character-driven, guided by deep listening, empathetic observation, and a cinematic approach to storytelling. She is drawn to stories that invite audiences to sit with complexity and continue the conversation long after the film ends.

Jennifer's films have been broadcast by PBS, HBO, and National Geographic, and have screened internationally at major film festivals. Alongside her filmmaking practice, she is Head of the Documentary Program at the University of California, Berkeley, where she has supervised the production of more than 40 short documentaries, many of which have been published by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, and PBS/POV.

She is joined in residence by her husband and long-time collaborator, Tim Metzger, an Emmy Award–winning cinematographer. Together they have collaborated on numerous documentary films, including Sun Come Up, which follows a small island community facing displacement due to rising sea levels and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Short.

Jennifer and Tim first visited Svalbard in spring 2026 to begin developing a new feature documentary rooted in cinéma vérité observation. Returning this summer, they will continue filming and deepening relationships within the community as the project evolves. The documentary explores how the environment, geopolitics, and rapid change shape everyday life across the archipelago, using an observational approach that allows stories to emerge through time, trust, and close attention to place.