The Joanie 4 Jackie archive was donated to the Getty Research Institute / Getty Trust by Miranda July in Spring 2016. This preserves the collection for all time, makes it available to researchers, and places it in meaningful context alongside other feminist video archives. The Getty Trust is a non-profit organization devoted to arts research, education, philanthropy, and the conservation and preservation of world heritage. The Getty did not pay a fee for J4J, and will not make rental fees from the work or share it for non-research purposes without the artists’ permission. The artists remain the rightsholders of their work. For further questions, see the FAQs below.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why weren’t you more selective? Some of these movies seem so amateur!
One of the things that set Joanie 4 Jackie apart from film festivals or film school was that Miranda didn’t care about talent. If she had assumed that each filmmaker hoped to one day win an Oscar or get into Sundance then it would have been easy to select only the movies that promised this. But she knew there were a million reasons to make a movie, just as there are a million reasons to write, and she didn’t pretend to know why each movie was made. Miranda also hoped that by removing competition filmmakers would notice what else propelled them – a need to speak, to connect, to explain, to mess up, to rebel.
Why can’t I watch all of the movies on the site?
As the Getty Research Institute digitizes the Chainletter and Co-Star tapes, we will add more movies to this site; eventually you will be able to watch the majority of the submissions, in their entirety. But keep in mind that this project was never about reaching an infinite audience. The primary audience for each Chainletter tape was really just the ten women who had contributed to it – the goal was intimacy and connection rather than fame.
Can I participate in Joanie 4 Jackie right now?
No, right now Joanie 4 Jackie is only an archive. But we worked hard to put this website together because we hope you will create a similar but better network with the resources available today.
I participated in J4J by contributing a video, attending a screening, or interning for the project. How can I add my voice to this website?
Please share your memories with us. Select the link that best applies to you:
Participant / Intern / Bard Tutorial Student »
Viewer / Supporter »
I am interested in screening or exhibiting work from the J4J Archive. Who should I contact?
Contact The Getty Research Institute.
I am a journalist interested in writing about J4J. Who should I contact?
We recommend utilizing the participant interviews in the “Now” section of this site, and for more information, contact The Getty Research Institute.
How can I reach Miranda July?
mjulysecretary@gmail.com
What happened to the Bard College Joanie 4 Jackie Tutorial after the archive moved to Getty Research Institute?
The Joanie 4 Jackie Tutorial ended in 2007, but sharing its spirit, the The Joanie 4 Jackie Film Club, run by students and faculty at Bard College, brings professional women filmmakers to campus to present their work.
Where did the names Big Miss Moviola and Joanie 4 Jackie come from?
The name Big Miss Moviola was meant to imply something massive and unstoppable, female and movie-related. Moviola Digital caught wind of the project and sent Miranda a cease and desist letter, threatening to sue if she didn’t stop misusing their name. The name Joanie 4 Jackie was already afoot – it was what she called her ambition to buy equipment to facilitate the filmmaking of more marginalized girls and women. “Joanie 4 Jackie = girl 4 girl.” In 2001 Joanie 4 Jackie became the new name of entire project.
How was this website made?
Website Credits:
Conceived by: Miranda July
Designed by: Yuri Ono
Built by: Matt Wright
Platform: WordPress
Contributing Editor and Curator: Astria Suparak
Archiving and Digitizing: Vanessa Haroutunian and The Bard College Joanie 4 Jackie Tutorial
Intern: Lydia Glenn-Murray
Thank you: Julia Bryan-Wilson and Shauna McGarry