معرفی
Jason Jakaitis serves as Assistant Professor and Program Chair of Media Production in the School of Liberal Arts at Saint Mary's College of California. Previously, he held positions as Director of Independent Media at the Bay Area Video Coalition (2014-2015) and adjunct faculty roles at San Francisco State University (2016-2018) and College of San Mateo (2013-2019). His professional trajectory bridges academic teaching with community-based media production and independent filmmaking.
Professor Jakaitis's research and creative work focuses on documentary filmmaking with particular emphasis on disability representation, community media, and experimental film techniques. His work explores personal narratives around illness and disability, social justice history, and innovative storytelling formats. He works across multiple media including 16mm film, digital documentary, augmented reality experiences, and community video projects.
His film Mothersbane won the Jury Prize at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival and received multiple awards at disability-focused film festivals. His recent work includes The Merry Widow (2020), a documentary exploring his mother's ovarian cancer diagnosis, and a Black Panthers augmented reality audio walking tour created in collaboration with former party members. Current projects include a documentary series with Densho documenting Japanese American incarceration testimonies.
His awards include:
- Mothersbane: South by Southwest - Jury Award (2011)
- Mothersbane: Picture This International Disability Fest - Best Short Documentary (2011)
- The Merry Widow: DOCUtah - Distinctive Piece Award
- Jason Jakaitis Memorial Scholarship established at SFSU (2019)
- Princess Grace Award and Panavision New Filmmaker Grant
Professor Jakaitis supervises student media production projects, including collaborations with the League of Women Voters, and maintains an active creative practice that informs his teaching. His approach emphasizes hands-on production experience with both traditional film formats and emerging media technologies, grounded in ethical documentary practices and community engagement.
His Media Production Program provides students with opportunities to work on community-based projects while developing technical skills in film production, documentary storytelling, and emerging media formats. The program reflects his commitment to connecting academic training with real-world media production and social engagement.
