Raven Jackson

{{Short description|American filmmaker and television writer (born 1990)}}

{{Infobox person

| image = Raven Jackson.jpg

| caption = At the Montclair Film Festival in October 2023

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1990}}

| birth_place = Tennessee, U.S.

| alma_mater = {{plainlist|

}}

| occupation = Filmmaker

| notable_works = All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (2023)

| awards = Guggenheim Fellowship (2025)

}}

Raven Jackson (born 1990) is an American filmmaker and television writer. A graduate of the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, she released several short films before making her feature film debut with All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (2023). She is a 2025 Guggenheim Fellow.

Biography

Raven Jackson was born in 1990 in Tennessee,{{Cite web |date=2023-07-07 |title=The films by María Alché and Benjamín Naishtat, Robin Campillo, Raven Jackson, Joachim Lafosse, Noah Pritzker, Cristi Puiu and Martín Rejtman, among others, will be competing for the Golden Shell at the 71st San Sebastián Festival |url=https://www.sansebastianfestival.com/2023/news/1/20824/in |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=San Sebastian Film Festival}} to a mother from Mississippi. She is a native of Clarksville, Tennessee,{{Cite news |title=On Your Radar: Raven Jackson |url=https://tisch.nyu.edu/grad-film/news/on-your-radar--raven-jackson.html |access-date=2025-04-27 |work=New York University Tisch School of the Arts}} and "grew up fishing on the Cumberland River".{{Cite news |last=Gyarkye |first=Lovia |date=2023-12-19 |title='All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt' Writer-Director Raven Jackson Brings Poetry to Motion With First Film |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/all-dirt-roads-taste-of-salt-writer-director-raven-jackson-first-film-1235710362/ |access-date=2025-04-27 |work=The Hollywood Reporter}} She graduated from Austin Peay State University in 2012,{{Cite web |title=CoAL Distinguished Alumni |url=https://www.apsu.edu/coal/distinguishedalumni.php |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=Austin Peay State University}} and she obtained her first MFA at The New School's writing program. Despite being uncertain about filmmaking without a background of technical experience, she decided to apply to New York University, and she obtained another MFA from New York University Tisch School of the Arts's graduate film program.{{Cite news |title=Grad Film alum Raven Jackson awarded 2025 Guggenheim Fellowship |url=https://tisch.nyu.edu/grad-film/news/2024/grad-film-alum-raven-jackson-awarded-2025-guggenheim-fellowship |access-date=2025-04-27}}

Her NYU thesis film was called Nettles,{{Cite web |title=Q&A with Raven Jackson |url=https://www.lecinemaclub.com/journal/qa-with-raven-jackson/ |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=Le Cinéma Club}} and it appeared at the 2019 Slamdance Film Festival.{{Cite web |title=Grad Film at Slamdance 2019 |url=https://tisch.nyu.edu/grad-film/news/2018/grad-film-at-slamdance-2019.html |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=New York University Tisch School of the Arts}} She later released another short film, A Guide To Breathing Underwater (2018).{{Cite web |title=A Guide To Breathing Underwater |url=https://filmfreeway.com/AGuideToBreathingUnderwater |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=FilmFreeway}} She and Leigh Ann Biety co-wrote "The Myth of California", a 2022 episode of the Apple TV+ series Surface.{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Hilary |date=2022-08-21 |title='Surface' Boss on How Flashback-Filled Sixth Episode Reframes Characters' Choices |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/surface-episode-six-explained-writer-actor-interviews-1235203149/ |access-date=2025-04-27 |work=The Hollywood Reporter}}

Her feature film debut All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, which she directed and wrote, was released in 2023. She then received several personal nominations, including the 2023 Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Director, the 2023 Chicago Film Critics Association Milos Stehlik Award for Breakthrough Filmmaker, and the 2024 Black Reel Award for Outstanding Emerging Director and for Outstanding Breakthrough Screenwriter. In 2024, she directed the music video for Common's song "Dreamin'".{{Cite news |last=Mendez |first=Marisa |date=2024-08-28 |title=Common & Pete Rock Pay Tribute To J Dilla & De La Soul's Trugoy In 'Dreamin'{{'}} Video |url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/common-pete-rock-tribute-j-dilla-trugoy-dreamin-video |access-date=2025-04-28 |work=HipHopDX}} In 2025, she was awarded a Film Independent Amplifier Fellowship{{Cite news |last=Bergeson |first=Samantha |date=2025-03-19 |title='All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt' Director Raven Jackson's TV Series Among Film Independent Grant Recipients |url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/breaking-news/film-independent-amplifier-2025-fellowship-1235110047/ |access-date=2025-04-27 |work=IndieWire}} and a Guggenheim Fellowship.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-15 |title=Announcing the 2025 Guggenheim Fellows |url=https://www.gf.org/stories/announcing-the-2025-guggenheim-fellows |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=Guggenheim Fellowship}}

She is also a poet, with one of her poems having the same name as her feature film debut.

Accolades

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" ! scope="col" \|Award ! scope="col" \|Date of ceremony ! scope="col" \|Category ! scope="col" \|Recipient(s) ! scope="col" \|Result ! class="unsortable" scope="col" \|{{Tooltip\|Ref.\|Reference(s)}}
scope="row"\|Sundance Film Festival \| January 27, 2023 \| Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Competition \| rowspan="6"\| All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt \| {{nom}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web\|url=https://deadline.com/2022/12/sundance-film-festival-2023-lineup-1235191713/\|title=Sundance Film Festival Lineup Set With Ukraine War, Little Richard, Michael J. Fox, Judy Blume Docs; Pics With Anne Hathaway, Emilia Clarke, Jonathan Majors; More\|website=Deadline Hollywood\|first1=Anthony\|last1=D'Alessandro\|first2=Dominic\|last2=Patten\|date=December 7, 2022\|access-date=December 16, 2022}}
scope="row" rowspan="3"\| San Sebastián International Film Festival \| rowspan="3"\| September 30, 2023 \| Golden Shell \| {{nom}} \| align="center"\| {{Cite web\|url=https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20230930/corno-concha-oro-san-sebastian-jaionecamborda/2457264.shtml\|website=rtve.es\|title= Histórica Concha de Oro para Jaione Camborda, primera española en ganar el Festival de San Sebastián por 'O Corno'\|first=Esteban\|last=Ramón\|date=30 September 2023}}
RTVE-Another Look Award: Special Mention \| {{won}} \| align="center" rowspan="2"\| {{cite web\|url=https://deadline.com/2023/09/2023-san-sebastian-film-festival-complete-winners-list-1235560863/\|title=San Sebastian Film Festival Winners: Jaione Camborda's 'The Rye Horn' Takes Golden Shell For Best Film\|website=Deadline\|first=Armando\|last=Tinoco\|date=30 September 2023\|accessdate=2 October 2023}}
SIGNIS Award \| {{won}}
scope="row"\| Ghent International Film Festival \| October 21, 2023 \| Best Film \| {{nom}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web\|url=https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20230921_94131287\|title=Film Fest Gent verwelkomt 25 unieke kortfilms, Fien Troch en 'Poor things'\|website=De Standaard\|first=Ruben\|last=Aerts\|date=21 September 2023\|accessdate=9 October 2023\|language=nl}}
scope="row"\| Chicago International Film Festival \| October 22, 2023 \| Gold Hugo \| {{nom}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web\|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/fallen-leaves-about-dry-grasses-la-chimera-among-chicago-fest-international-line-up-exclusive/5185931.article\|title='Fallen Leaves', 'About Dry Grasses', 'La Chimera' among Chicago fest international line-up (exclusive)\|website=Screendaily\|date=14 September 2023\|accessdate=23 September 2023\|first=Jeremy\|last=Kay}}
scope="row"\| Montclair Film Festival \| October 29, 2023 \| Breakthrough Director & Writer Award \| rowspan="2"\| Raven Jackson \| {{won}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web\|url=https://montclairfilm.org/events/mff23-award-winners-announced/\|title=2023 Montclair Film Festival Award Winners Announced!\|publisher=Montclair Film Festival\|accessdate=6 November 2023}}
scope="row"\| Gotham Independent Film Awards \| November 27, 2023 \| Breakthrough Director \|{{Nominated}} \| align="center"\| {{Cite web \|last=Lewis \|first=Hilary \|date=2023-10-24 \|title='Past Lives,' 'A Thousand and One' and 'All of Us Strangers' Top Gotham Awards Film Nominees \|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2023-gotham-awards-nominations-nominees-list-1235625683/ \|access-date=2023-11-14 \|website=The Hollywood Reporter}}
scope="row"\| National Board of Review \| December 6, 2023 \| Top 10 Independent Films \| All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt \| {{won}}{{efn\|name=multiple\|This award does not have a single winner, but recognizes multiple films.}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web\|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/awards/national-board-of-review-winners-2023-1235821182/\|title='Killers of the Flower Moon' Named Best Picture by National Board of Review, Lily Gladstone and Paul Giamatti Nab Top Acting Honors\|website=Variety\|first=Clayton\|last=Davis\|date=November 6, 2023\|accessdate=November 6, 2023}}
scope="row"\| IndieWire Critics Poll \| December 11, 2023 \| Best First Feature \| rowspan="2"\| All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt \| {{draw\|2nd Place}} \| align="center"\|{{Cite web \|last=Blauvelt \|first=Christian \|date=December 11, 2023 \|title=2023 Critics Poll: The Best Films and Performances, According to 158 Critics from Around the World \|url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/best-of/best-movies-2023-critics-survey-poll-performances-1234933605/ \|access-date=December 11, 2023 \|website=IndieWire \|archive-date=December 21, 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221140607/https://www.indiewire.com/features/best-of/best-movies-2023-critics-survey-poll-performances-1234933605/ \|url-status=live }}
rowspan="2" scope="row"\| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards \| rowspan="2"\| December 12, 2023 \| Best Editing \| {{nom}} \| rowspan="2" align="center"\|{{Cite web \|last=Tallerico \|first=Brian \|date=December 8, 2023 \|title=Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Poor Things Lead CFCA Nominations \|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/killers-of-the-flower-moon-oppenheimer-poor-things-lead-cfca-nominations \|access-date=December 8, 2023 \|website=RogerEbert.com}}
Milos Stehlik Award for Breakthrough Filmmaker \| rowspan="2"\| Raven Jackson \| {{nom}}
scope="row"\| Florida Film Critics Circle Awards \| December 21, 2023 \| Best First Film \| {{Nominated}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web\|url=https://awardswatch.com/florida-film-critics-circle-ffcc-nominations/\|title=Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Nominations\|website=AwardsWatch\|first=Erik\|last=Anderson\|date=December 13, 2023\|accessdate=December 14, 2023}}
scope="row" rowspan="3" \|Black Reel Awards \| rowspan="3" \|January 16, 2024 \| Outstanding Independent Film \| All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt \| {{Nominated}} \| align="center" rowspan="3" \|{{Cite web \|last=Complex \|first=Valerie \|date=December 15, 2023 \|title=Black Reel Awards Nominations: 'The Color Purple' And 'Rustin' Dominate \|url=https://deadline.com/2023/12/black-reel-awards-nominations-revealed-color-purple-and-rustin-dominate-nominations-1235669797/ \|access-date=December 16, 2023 \|website=Deadline Hollywood}}
Outstanding Emerging Director \| rowspan="2"\| Raven Jackson \| {{nom}}
Outstanding First Screenplay \| {{nom}}
scope="row"\| Independent Spirit Awards \| February 25, 2024 \| Best First Feature \| Raven Jackson, Maria Altamirano, Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, and Adele Romanski \| {{nom}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web\|url= https://www.avclub.com/film-independent-spirit-awards-2024-nominees-1851073454 \|title= Here are all the nominees for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit awards \|first= Emma \|last= Keates \|work= The A.V. Club \|date= December 5, 2023 \|access-date= December 9, 2023 \|archive-date= December 9, 2023 \|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231209075854/https://www.avclub.com/film-independent-spirit-awards-2024-nominees-1851073454 \|url-status=live}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col" |Award

! scope="col" |Date of ceremony

! scope="col" |Category

! scope="col" |Recipient(s)

! scope="col" |Result

! class="unsortable" scope="col" |{{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

scope="row"|Sundance Film Festival

| January 27, 2023

| Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Competition

| rowspan="6"| All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/12/sundance-film-festival-2023-lineup-1235191713/|title=Sundance Film Festival Lineup Set With Ukraine War, Little Richard, Michael J. Fox, Judy Blume Docs; Pics With Anne Hathaway, Emilia Clarke, Jonathan Majors; More|website=Deadline Hollywood|first1=Anthony|last1=D'Alessandro|first2=Dominic|last2=Patten|date=December 7, 2022|access-date=December 16, 2022}}

scope="row" rowspan="3"| San Sebastián International Film Festival

| rowspan="3"| September 30, 2023

| Golden Shell

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{Cite web|url=https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20230930/corno-concha-oro-san-sebastian-jaionecamborda/2457264.shtml|website=rtve.es|title= Histórica Concha de Oro para Jaione Camborda, primera española en ganar el Festival de San Sebastián por 'O Corno'|first=Esteban|last=Ramón|date=30 September 2023}}

RTVE-Another Look Award: Special Mention

| {{won}}

| align="center" rowspan="2"| {{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/09/2023-san-sebastian-film-festival-complete-winners-list-1235560863/|title=San Sebastian Film Festival Winners: Jaione Camborda's 'The Rye Horn' Takes Golden Shell For Best Film|website=Deadline|first=Armando|last=Tinoco|date=30 September 2023|accessdate=2 October 2023}}

SIGNIS Award

| {{won}}

scope="row"| Ghent International Film Festival

| October 21, 2023

| Best Film

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|url=https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20230921_94131287|title=Film Fest Gent verwelkomt 25 unieke kortfilms, Fien Troch en 'Poor things'|website=De Standaard|first=Ruben|last=Aerts|date=21 September 2023|accessdate=9 October 2023|language=nl}}

scope="row"| Chicago International Film Festival

| October 22, 2023

| Gold Hugo

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/fallen-leaves-about-dry-grasses-la-chimera-among-chicago-fest-international-line-up-exclusive/5185931.article|title='Fallen Leaves', 'About Dry Grasses', 'La Chimera' among Chicago fest international line-up (exclusive)|website=Screendaily|date=14 September 2023|accessdate=23 September 2023|first=Jeremy|last=Kay}}

scope="row"| Montclair Film Festival

| October 29, 2023

| Breakthrough Director & Writer Award

| rowspan="2"| Raven Jackson

| {{won}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|url=https://montclairfilm.org/events/mff23-award-winners-announced/|title=2023 Montclair Film Festival Award Winners Announced!|publisher=Montclair Film Festival|accessdate=6 November 2023}}

scope="row"| Gotham Independent Film Awards

| November 27, 2023

| Breakthrough Director

|{{Nominated}}

| align="center"| {{Cite web |last=Lewis |first=Hilary |date=2023-10-24 |title='Past Lives,' 'A Thousand and One' and 'All of Us Strangers' Top Gotham Awards Film Nominees |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2023-gotham-awards-nominations-nominees-list-1235625683/ |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}

scope="row"| National Board of Review

| December 6, 2023

| Top 10 Independent Films

| All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt

| {{won}}{{efn|name=multiple|This award does not have a single winner, but recognizes multiple films.}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/awards/national-board-of-review-winners-2023-1235821182/|title='Killers of the Flower Moon' Named Best Picture by National Board of Review, Lily Gladstone and Paul Giamatti Nab Top Acting Honors|website=Variety|first=Clayton|last=Davis|date=November 6, 2023|accessdate=November 6, 2023}}

scope="row"| IndieWire Critics Poll

| December 11, 2023

| Best First Feature

| rowspan="2"| All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt

| {{draw|2nd Place}}

| align="center"|{{Cite web |last=Blauvelt |first=Christian |date=December 11, 2023 |title=2023 Critics Poll: The Best Films and Performances, According to 158 Critics from Around the World |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/best-of/best-movies-2023-critics-survey-poll-performances-1234933605/ |access-date=December 11, 2023 |website=IndieWire |archive-date=December 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221140607/https://www.indiewire.com/features/best-of/best-movies-2023-critics-survey-poll-performances-1234933605/ |url-status=live }}

rowspan="2" scope="row"| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

| rowspan="2"| December 12, 2023

| Best Editing

| {{nom}}

| rowspan="2" align="center"|{{Cite web |last=Tallerico |first=Brian |date=December 8, 2023 |title=Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Poor Things Lead CFCA Nominations |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/killers-of-the-flower-moon-oppenheimer-poor-things-lead-cfca-nominations |access-date=December 8, 2023 |website=RogerEbert.com}}

Milos Stehlik Award for Breakthrough Filmmaker

| rowspan="2"| Raven Jackson

| {{nom}}

scope="row"| Florida Film Critics Circle Awards

| December 21, 2023

| Best First Film

| {{Nominated}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|url=https://awardswatch.com/florida-film-critics-circle-ffcc-nominations/|title=Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Nominations|website=AwardsWatch|first=Erik|last=Anderson|date=December 13, 2023|accessdate=December 14, 2023}}

scope="row" rowspan="3" |Black Reel Awards

| rowspan="3" |January 16, 2024

| Outstanding Independent Film

| All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt

| {{Nominated}}

| align="center" rowspan="3" |{{Cite web |last=Complex |first=Valerie |date=December 15, 2023 |title=Black Reel Awards Nominations: 'The Color Purple' And 'Rustin' Dominate |url=https://deadline.com/2023/12/black-reel-awards-nominations-revealed-color-purple-and-rustin-dominate-nominations-1235669797/ |access-date=December 16, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}

Outstanding Emerging Director

| rowspan="2"| Raven Jackson

| {{nom}}

Outstanding First Screenplay

| {{nom}}

scope="row"| Independent Spirit Awards

| February 25, 2024

| Best First Feature

| Raven Jackson, Maria Altamirano, Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, and Adele Romanski

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|url= https://www.avclub.com/film-independent-spirit-awards-2024-nominees-1851073454 |title= Here are all the nominees for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit awards |first= Emma |last= Keates |work= The A.V. Club |date= December 5, 2023 |access-date= December 9, 2023 |archive-date= December 9, 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231209075854/https://www.avclub.com/film-independent-spirit-awards-2024-nominees-1851073454 |url-status=live}}

Notes

References

Category:1990 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Clarksville, Tennessee

Category:Film directors from Tennessee

Category:American horror film directors

Category:American women film directors

Category:21st-century American screenwriters

Category:Screenwriters from Tennessee

Category:African-American women screenwriters

Category:African-American television writers

Category:American women television writers

Category:American music video directors

Category:Austin Peay State University alumni

Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni