Jac Gares Media, Inc.
Award-winning documentaries and television — independent films, public affairs, cable and live broadcast. Founded by filmmaker Jacqueline Gares.
Reel
1:46 · Moments from the Lucy Sante Project, IN THE LIFE, FREE CeCe! and more.
Selected work
FREE CeCe!
Feature documentary · 2016 · 87 min
CeCe McDonald survived a brutal attack, only to be incarcerated for defending her life. Executive produced by Laverne Cox; Audience Favorite, BlackStar Film Festival.
Lucy Sante Project
Short documentary · In production · 2028
Writer Lucy Sante's late-life transformation, told through her poetry, collage art and decades of writing.
Of Mortal Men
Short documentary · 2021 · 15 min
Larry Williams goes from a prison classroom to full-time philosophy student at St. Francis College.
Television & film
Selected credits from public television, cable networks, live broadcast and independent film.
2007–2012
IN THE LIFE
Series Producer · Public television
2008
UNRAVELED
Producer · Independent documentary
Live broadcast
Tony Awards & Daytime Emmys
Post-production supervisor
1998–2001
P.O.V./AmDoc
Associate Producer · PBS
2004
How They Won
Producer · History Channel
2004
Breaking Vegas
Producer · History Channel
Awards
Recognition for documentary, public television and digital journalism.
2016
BlackStar Film Festival
Audience Favorite · FREE CeCe!
2012
Webby Award
Public Service & Activism · A Day in Our Shoes
2010
NLGJA Award
Excellence in HIV/AIDS Coverage · IN THE LIFE
2008
Freddie Award
Issues & Ethics · UNRAVELED
1999
Telly Award
REMNANT · Short film
2011
GLAAD Media Award
Outstanding Digital Journalism · Injustice at Every Turn
2011
Webby Award
News & Politics · Censoring Wojnarowicz
About
I'm Jac Gares, founder of Jac Gares Media, Inc., and a filmmaker and television producer. I directed and produced FREE CeCe! (2016) with Laverne Cox. It won the Audience Favorite Feature Documentary award at BlackStar Film Festival, among many others, and has since been adopted by university libraries and used in classrooms around the world.
As Series Producer of IN THE LIFE on public television, my work garnered awards from NLGJA, GLAAD and the Webbys. I also produced specials and documentaries for the History Channel, Food Network and USA Networks after working for PBS's non-fiction film showcase, P.O.V./AmDoc. In 2008, my documentary about genetic testing and Alzheimer's disease, UNRAVELED, won a Freddie Award; my short film REMNANT won a Telly Award in 1999.
I have a BA in English Literature from Rutgers University and an MA in Media Studies from The New School.
Let's work together
Available for directing and producing projects, and always interested in new collaborators, partners and stories.