Alexxiss Jackson's guest appearances

Alexxiss Jackson

Bad Feminists Making Films

Tea Talks with Tomeka Podcast

Tina Mabry

Amy Adrion

Lou Simon

Hanelle M. Culpepper

Rachel Goldberg

Anthony Barrows

Jennifer Warren

Tomeka M. Winborne

Margari Hill

Maureen Hufnagel

Cheryl L. Bedford

Marlene Rhein

Rebecca Byerly

Hilary Hess

Ameesha Joshi

OwlTail

Director and cinematographer Alexxiss Jackson shares her journey as a visual storyteller committed to social justice: from being an eight-year-old making home movies starring Transformers and Barbie dolls, to being one of few women of color in film school, to working double to get half the recognition on film sets. To our question "What is it like to be a woman of color in the film industry?"  Alexxiss offers nuanced insights based on her personal experiences, touching on the racialized dynamics of the filmmaking industry and the absolute necessity of unrepresented voices to create spaces and opportunities of their own.

Director and cinematographer Alexxiss Jackson shares her journey as a visual storyteller committed to social justice: from being an eight-year-old making home movies starring Transformers and Barbie dolls, to being one of few women of color in film school, to working double to get half the recognition on film sets. To our question "What is it like to be a woman of color in the film industry?" Alexxiss offers nuanced insights based on her personal experiences, touching on the racialized dynamics of the filmmaking industry and the absolute necessity of unrepresented voices to create spaces and opportunities of their own.

Women Behind the Camera with Alexxiss Jackson

Alexxiss S. Jackson is a Director of Photography originally from Detroit, MI. From a very early age, she aspired to be a visual storyteller; she made her first film at 8 years old using the family camcorder (starring her collection of Transformers and Barbie dolls). Ten years later, she enrolled in film school at the University of Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film/Video Studies and English. For further formal training, she also completed the intensive Summer Film Program at the University of Southern California. Since then, Alexxiss has served as Director of Photography on numerous pieces, ranging from narrative films, commercials, promo spots, TV show segments, and music videos. Her work has been recognized at least 20 times by a number of international bodies, including film festivals across the United States, Canada, Australia, Kenya, Uganda, the Netherlands, and the UK. She was spotlighted on Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls in March 2018. Also in 2018, she was invited to speak publicly at TERMINUS Conference + Festival, where she presented a seminar entitled “Cinematography: Crafting a Look with Lenses and Filters” that was very well received. She has spoken on several other panels, podcasts, radio interviews, etc; not only about cinematography, but also what it’s like to be a woman of color in the film industry.

Alexxiss S. Jackson is a Director of Photography originally from Detroit, MI. From a very early age, she aspired to be a visual storyteller; she made her first film at 8 years old using the family camcorder (starring her collection of Transformers and Barbie dolls). Ten years later, she enrolled in film school at the University of Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film/Video Studies and English. For further formal training, she also completed the intensive Summer Film Program at the University of Southern California. Since then, Alexxiss has served as Director of Photography on numerous pieces, ranging from narrative films, commercials, promo spots, TV show segments, and music videos. Her work has been recognized at least 20 times by a number of international bodies, including film festivals across the United States, Canada, Australia, Kenya, Uganda, the Netherlands, and the UK. She was spotlighted on Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls in March 2018. Also in 2018, she was invited to speak publicly at TERMINUS Conference + Festival, where she presented a seminar entitled “Cinematography: Crafting a Look with Lenses and Filters” that was very well received. She has spoken on several other panels, podcasts, radio interviews, etc; not only about cinematography, but also what it’s like to be a woman of color in the film industry.

Alexxiss Jackson - Director of Photography