Wendy Eley Jackson

Wendy Eley Jackson is a Lecturer in the Department of Film and Media Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is also the Founder and Executive Producer of Auburn Avenue Films, leveraging over 30 years of experience in television and film production. Eley Jackson holds a B.A. in English Literature from UC Berkeley and an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the University of Georgia. Her expertise spans screenwriting, documentary filmmaking, and addressing racial and gender dynamics in media. She has produced acclaimed projects like the PGA-winning documentary MAYNARD (Netflix), directed by Sam Pollard, and serves as an executive producer for documentaries such as Welcome to Pine Lake and CARTERLAND. Currently, she is filming projects like Counting The Ballots and PILGRIM: The Untold Story of MLK Jr. and Gandhi.

As a educator, she teaches courses like Basic Screenwriting, Advanced Screenwriting for Television, and Crew Production. Her research interests include collaborative storytelling, documentary activism, and adapting literary works for film. She co-wrote the scripted limited series Ella & Marilyn and authored the screenplay 30 Days a Black Man: The Forgotten Story of Jim Crow, based on Bill Stiegerwald’s award-winning book.

Wendy has received the Producers Guild Mark (PGA) for her work on MAYNARD and is recognized for curating content from Georgia to Hollywood. Her production company, Auburn Avenue Films, focuses on culturally impactful storytelling. Beyond academia, she is married to Maynard Holbrook Jackson III and is the mother of two children, Amber and Joshua.