Jay Craven

Jay Craven is a writer, director, producer, and current film faculty member at Sarah Lawrence College. Craven directs the Cinema Sarah Lawrence Program where students acquire hands-on experience in the world of professional filmmaking. He completed his undergraduate studies at Boston University and the School of Visual Arts, and later pursued a Masters of Arts at Goddard College.  In 1991 Craven and his wife Bess O’Brien co-founded Kingdom County Productions, through which they have produced numerous award-winning dramatic films, documentaries, a radio-show, and an Emmy-winning television comedy series. KCP films have played in over 50 countries and at over 40 international festivals including Sundance, South by Southwest, and the AFI Fest. Craven had previously founded and directed St. Johnsbury’s Catamount Arts (1975-91) and co-founded Vermont’s Circus Smirkus. Craven also serves as the Artistic Director of the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, which focuses entirely on the work of first- and second-time filmmakers, and he teaches screenwriting and directing at Sarah Lawrence College as well as producing workshops for kids and teens in playwriting, filmmaking, circus arts, and sketch comedy.