Dawn Jones Redstone is an award-winning queer, Latinx writer/director whose films have screened around the globe. Her work often features women of color and explores themes of resistance, feminism and the internal machinations that help us transform into the people we want to become. She was named a Woman of Vision by Oregon Daily Journal of Commerce and has been awarded grants from the Regional Arts and Culture Council, Northwest Film Center, MRG Foundation and more. In 2017, she was selected to shadow director Debra Granik on the set of Leave No Trace as part of the 5to50 program in Oregon. She believes in using her writing/hiring decisions to lift people up and help create a filmmaking community that reflects and brings needed perspective to the world we live in. All of her cast and crews have consisted of mostly women of color since her first short in 2015.
Before becoming a full time filmmaker, Dawn worked as a union carpenter and as training manager at Oregon Tradeswomen for a combined total of 15 years. She's also a returned Peace Corps Volunteer. She resides with her wife and daughter in Portland, Oregon. Dawn directed the short See Me with Artists Repertory Theater and it will have its premiere at Portland International Film Festival in March 2021. She is currently preparing to make her first feature film. Learn more about how you can help below! Top photo by Jason Quigley. |
Photo by Kim Oanh Nguyen.
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NEWS
NEW FILM
Check out the trailer for See Me, a new short film premiering at Portland International Film Festival on March 5th as part of their opening night program! You can read my Director's Statement about this unique project here.
Check out the trailer for See Me, a new short film premiering at Portland International Film Festival on March 5th as part of their opening night program! You can read my Director's Statement about this unique project here.
Trailer edited by James Jones
See Me (2021 / 22 mins)
In the summer of 2020 in Portland, Oregon, amidst a global pandemic and nightly protests over the murder of George Floyd, a group of seven Black writers at Artists Repertory Theatre got together to write about their day-to-day experience. What they started would eventually become the short film, See Me. Shot in Fall of 2020 with an all BIPOC crew, the film tracks the lives of three people hunkered down alone during the shutdown in Oregon. As their daily routines intersect with the turmoil of the world outside, they try to get by--just like the rest of us--finding bits of hope, joy and power in most uncertain times.
AN AWARD
Dawn, along with Ashley Mellinger, was awarded one of OMPA's Service and Inspiration Award for trying to bring equity to the state's film incentive program. |
DIRECTING Reel
Reel includes footage from broadcast commercials, short films, web promos and music videos directed by Dawn Jones Redstone.
Narrative films
Sista in the Brotherhood (2016 / 20:37 mins)
DIRECTOR, CO-WRITER Sista in the Brotherhood is a twenty minute short film about a black apprentice carpenter who experiences discrimination on the job and must choose between taking a stand or keeping her job. Learn more.
We Have Our Ways (2018 / 15:06 mins)
DIRECTOR/DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY In a dystopic but recognizable America, a customer service rep (sidony o'neal) for for a greedy healthcare company, must decide what price she’s willing to pay to help those around her in need. Learn more here.
Magnificent (2019/ 12 mins)
WRITER/DIRECTOR A woman goes on a first date in the Gorge and gets much more than she bargained for from both the date and their hike. Learn more here.
support my work
Are you a supporter of the arts that might want to back my next project? I need your help! Noelia, a feature film, is a fiscally-sponsored project of Fractured Atlas. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. We've received two grants to date and are preparing to make announcements in Spring of 2021. Get in touch if you'd like to help and get private access to what we've developed so far.
STAY IN TOUCH TO LEARN ABOUT UPCOMING PROJECTS
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Check out more articles and press about Dawn and her films here.
SCREENINGS AND APPEARANCES
March 5-14, 2020 See Me at Portland International Film Festival
Check out the newest short I directed on opening night! January 28, 2020 Teaching Crowdfunding Class w/ NW Film Center with Liz Mowe from Kickstarter. Details here October 1, 2020 Magnificent screening at POWFest virtually! September 13, 2020 Dawn on Tradeswomen Talk Podcast with Judaline Cassidy about Sista in the Brotherhood and upcoming release on Collective Eye! August 2020 We Have Our Ways Screening online as part of the Oregon Filmmaker Series in partnership with the Hollywood Theater thru end of year. Tickets here. August 4, 2020 Sista in the Brotherhood Screening online as part of the Workers Unite Film Festival out of NYC for 12 hours only! Info here. May 13, 2020 We Have Our Ways The film will screen as part of AspireTV's #UrbanIndieShortsBlock on Magic Johnson's Network across the country. Info here. April 2020 Magnificent Screening as a new release now as part of the QueerBee catalogue out of London. Check it out here. March 11, 2020 Magnificent at Portland International Film Festival, Info here ADDITIONAL ARCHIVED SCREENINGS HERE. |
Dawn with director Debra Granik on the set of Leave No Trace during the job shadow made possible by the 5to50 program and Oregon Film Office.
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