Assistant Professor of Communication Arts
email
212-774-4866

Degrees
M.F.A., San Francisco State University
B.A., University of Virginia

Giovanna Chesler is a Director and Producer of documentaries, narrative films and web based works that address themes of the body, sexuality, and gender. She teaches courses in video production and film theory. Her film work produced through her production company G6 Pictures includes Bye Bi Love (2010) which was recently awarded Honorable Mention in fiction filmmaking from the University Film and Video Association, Period: The End of Menstruation (2006) distributed by Cinema Guild, NY, BeauteouS: The Trilogy (2000-2002) and hand-some (2004), distributed by Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre. She is developing a web television network around sexually transmitted infections which launched with the Tune in HPV channel.

Chesler is a research and media fellow at the Center for Social Media at American University where she focuses on teaching Fair Use in the video classroom. Her critical theory and publications include essays on sound, documentary, and participatory media activism. She has served on the selection committee for the AFI Silverdocs Film Festival and has curated programs of experimental feminist films for the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research and Ladyfest San Diego. She writes on representations of menstruation in film for the blog re:Cycling .

Chesler works as a cinematographer, shooting for independent filmmakers, video artists and broadcast television. Her work has been discussed in the New York Times , Feminist Reviews, and Afterimage.

Recent Publications:

“Re-Presenting Choice: Tune in HPV,” (co-authored with Bree Kessler), in Three Shots at Prevention: The HPV Vaccine and the Politics of Medicine’s Simple Solutions, eds. Keith Wailoo, Julie Livingston, Stephen Epstein, and Robert Aronowitz (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010).

“Truth in the Mix: Constructing the Observational Microphone in High School.” E. Hohenberger (Ed.). Frederick Wiseman: Kino des Sozialen. Vorwerk 8, 2009: 139-156.

“The Audio First Classroom: a sound place for engagement with audio theory and practice” Jump Cut, 2007

Blog writing on film, menstruation art and sound at Re:Cycling and G6 Pix.

Recent Presentations/Productions:

Chesler, Giovanna. “Really? We Can Do That?: Teaching Fair Use for Freedom’s Sake” Copy/right(?) Symposium. ASIS&T @ Pratt Institute. Pratt Institute, Manhattan Campus. 1 May 2010.

Chesler, Giovanna. “Fair Use in the Classroom.” University Film and Video Association Conference. The University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA. 6 August 2009

“Menstrual Movies: Re-imagining Blood on Screen.” Curated screening, Society for Menstrual Cycle Research Conference. Spokane, Washington. 5 June 2009.

“Communication and Sexual Health: Service Learning in Creative Media.” with students in COMM 300: Sexual Health and Communication, NYMAPS Symposium Beyond the Classroom: Co-Educating Students in the Service-Learning Partnership. Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies: The City College of New York. 5 May 2009.

“Challenging Dominant Health Discourses through Feminist Film Practice: A discussion by Filmmaker and Web Producer Giovanna Chesler.” Invited Lecture. Department of Women’s Studies, University of Michigan: Ann Arbor, MI. 16 October 2008.

“Home Grown Sexual Health Messages: Connecting personal experiences with medical knowledge.” Invited Lecture. Grand Rounds, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Medical Center: Ann Arbor, MI. 17 October 2008.