PRODUCER, director, editor
ERICA JORDAN
is an award-winning independent narrative and documentary filmmaker who creates stories that entertain, as they expand into a deeper understanding of the world.
Erica Jordan through DigAll Media, 501 c3 received a grant from California Humanities
DigAllMedia.Org
Walls of Sand - Official Trailer
Walls of Sand - Official Trailer
SEEING SLAVERY - Trailer
"Painted Nails" - feature documentary trailer
In The Wake - Excerpt
BIOGRAPHY
Erica's films illuminate themes of liberation, courage, and compassion. Her portfolio of acclaimed works includes "Walls of Sand," "In the Wake," and "Painted Nails," which have garnered widespread recognition at over 45 prestigious film festivals worldwide. Notably, Erica made history with "Walls of Sand" as the first feature film to stream online, while "Painted Nails" received nationwide distribution and is now accessible on the esteemed platform Kanopy. Erica's films have earned her numerous accolades, including awards from respected organizations like the Los Angeles Film Festival, Amsterdam's Around International Film Festival, and the Accolade Competition.
Erica has been honored with screenings and awards at renowned events such as the Johns Hopkins APAMSA, UNAFF Traveling Film Festival, Seattle Asian American Film Festival, CAAMFest, and many more. Opera San Jose even premiered her work "Making of Three Decembers" in 2020, further highlighting her versatility and artistic range.
Erica's storytelling extends beyond traditional film festivals, as she has showcased her work at esteemed venues like the Main San Francisco Public Library and the United Nations Film Festival. Her films have been recognized for their compelling narratives and their ability to shed light on pressing social issues, earning praise and appreciation from diverse audiences.
FILMS
DIRECTOR
PRODUCER
EDITOR
Animation Outlaws (Editor - 2019 Feature Documentary)
Seeing Slavery (Director, Editor - 2018 - Short Documentary)
Painted Nails ( Co-Produced/Directed & Edited Erica Jordan and Dianne Griffin, Editor Erica Jordan 2016 - feature documentary)
In Plain Sight (Director, Editor - 2014 - Feature Documentary)
Seed to Sprout (Director, Editor 2012 - Three short films for youth dance/film/theater collaboration.
Our Daily Bread (Director, Editor 2011 - Several short films for a dance performance at CounterPulse, SF
Any Sunday at Rhythm and Motion (Director, Editor - 2009 – 7 min. documentary)
Saving Malcolm X (Director, Editor - 2005 - 30 min. documentary)
Fostering Art (Director, Editor - 2004 - 15 min. short documentary)
In the Wake (Director, Editor - 2001 - 94 min. dramatic feature)
Ida McCray: Families With A Future (2001 - 6 min. documentary) Produced for Oxygen TV Channel.
Glenda Hope: The Tender Champ (2001 - 6 min. documentary) Produced for Oxygen TV Channel
Tales from the Heart (1998 - 37 min. dramatic shorts)
Walls of Sand (Director, Editor, Co-wrote, co-produced with Shirin Etesam 1995 - 110 min. dramatic feature)
A Different Shade of Blue (Director, Editor - 1991 12 min. dramatic short)
Dance for One (Director, Editor - 1989 - 11 min. dramatic short)
SELECTED
PRESENTATIONS & Awards
- Opera San Jose premiered Making of Three Decembers, 2020
- Amsterdam’s Around International Film Festival – Seeing Slavery, Finalist Screening Amsterdam 2019
- Accolade Competition - Award of Merit - Seeing Slavery 2019
- Los Angeles Film Festival Awards – Seeing Slavery, Best Short Documentary April 2018 – Screening at Raleigh Studios, Hollywood
- Johns Hopkins APAMSA - Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association, Painted Nails 2019
- UNAFF Traveling Film Festival - Denver, Painted Nails 2017
- Women’s Voices for the Earth, Montana, Painted Nails 2017
- 8th Annual CSM Asian Pacific America Film Festival, Painted Nails 2017
- Seattle Asian American Film Festival, Painted Nails, 2017
- UNAFF Traveling Film Festival, Painted Nails 2017
- Cinequest International Film Festival, Painted Nails, 2016
- CAAMFest, Painted Nails, (Center for Asian American Media), Painted Nails 2016
- Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival, Painted Nails, 2016
- Disorient Asian American Film Festival, Painted Nails, 2016 (Courageous Womyn Award)
- Viet Film Festival, Painted Nails, 2016
- DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival, Painted Nails, 2016
- Sacramento Asian Pacific Film Festival, Painted Nails, 2016
- Chicago International Social Change Film Festival, Painted Nails, 2016
- ECO Film Festival, Painted Nails, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2016
- New Orleans Film Festival, Painted Nails, Jury Award Finalist, 2016
- UNAFF International Documentary Film Festival at Stanford University, Painted Nails, 2016
- California Film Institute - San Rafael Film Center, Painted Nails, 2016
- Main San Francisco Public Library, Painted Nails, 2016
- The International Film Festival on Human Rights, Buenos Aires Argentina, In Plain Sight, 2015
- Napa Valley Film Festival (Napa Valley, CA) In Plain Sight, 2014
- United Nations Film Festival (Palo Alto, CA) In Plain Sight, 2014
- Mill Valley Film Festival (Mill Valley, CA) In Plain Sight, 2014
- San Francisco City Hall, Saving Malcolm X, video screened as part of a photo exhibit, 2006
- Oxygen Media, Glenda Hope, Ida McCray documentaries, national broadcast, 2001
- New York International Independent Film & Video Festival (NY & LA), In the Wake, 2002
- Black Point Film Festival, Wisconsin, (Honorable Mention) In the Wake, 2002
- Mill Valley Film Festival, Mill Valley, CA In the Wake (Official Premier Presentation), 2001
- WinFemme Film Festival, Beverly Hills, CA (Critic’s Choice Award) – In the Wake, 2001
- U.C. Davis International Film Festival – Davis, CA, (Honorable Mention), In the Wake, 2001
- Film Festival of Iranian Cineaste in Diaspora, Canada, New York, Walls of Sand, 2001
- Women’s Iranian Film Festival, Pacific Film Archives, Berkeley, CA – Walls of Sand, 2001
- Film Arts Festival of Independent Cinema In the Wake, 2001
- Light+Screen Film Festival, (New York, NY) Walls of Sand, 2000
- The Mill Valley Film Festival, Tales From The Heart: The Belly Dance, 1998
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Short Romances, (SF, CA) Tales From The Heart, 1998
- Thesync.com, (website) (first contemporary feature in the web) Walls of Sand, 1998
- The Festival of Iranian Films Made in Exile, (Sweden) Walls of Sand, 1997
- Short Romances, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, (SF, CA) Tales From The Heart, 1997
- Boston Museum of Fine Art Film Festival, Walls of Sand, 1996
- Orpheum Theater, (Boston, Mass.) (Calendar Screening), Walls of Sand, 1996
- Roxie Cinema, (San Francisco, CA) (Calendar Screening), Walls of Sand, 1996
- UCSF Psychiatrists Resident Screening, (San Francisco, CA), Walls of Sand, 1996
- Slamdance Film Festival, (Saltlake City, Utah) (Honorable Mention), Walls of Sand, 1996
- Umea Film Festival, (Sweden) – Walls of Sand, 1995
- Nashville Independent Film Festival, (Tenn.) Walls of Sand, 1995
- Film Arts Foundation Film Festival, (SF, CA) Walls of Sand, 1995
- Breckenridge Film Festival, (Colorado) Walls of Sand, 1995
- Rivertown Film Festival, (Minneapolis) Walls of Sand, 1995
- Bay Area Women’s Film Festival, (Berkeley, CA), Walls of Sand, 1995
- Big Muddy Film Festival, (Ill.) Walls of Sand, 1995
- Palo Alto Film Festival, (Palo Alto, CA) Dance for One, 1987
- Art Institute Film Festival, (SF, CA) Dance for One, 1987
- Mill Valley Film Festival, (Mill Valley, CA) Dance for One, 1987
BROADCAST
PAINTED NAILS
PBS Nationwide including but not limited to KQED to WNET airdates in 13 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia
INCLUDING: • Charlotte (SCETV)• Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville (SCETV)• Indianapolis • Las Vegas• Los Angeles• Orlando (WDSC & WEFS)• Philadelphia• Portland (OPB) • San Antonio• San Diego • San Francisco (KRCB, KCSM & KQED) • Tulsa
articleS,
interviews & Reviews
More Articles and Reviews
“Independent Film Distribution: How to Make a Successful End Run Around the Big Guys,” Phil Hall, 2006
“An Interview with Erica Jordan” by Jonathan W. Hickman, www.einsider.com, 2002
“An Accented Cinema: Exilic and Diasporic Filmmaking”, by Hamid Naficy, Princeton Univ. Press, 2001
“In The Wake, Review,” Film Threat, 2001
“Erica Jordan: The Quiet Pioneer”, Film Threat interview by Phil Hall, May 3, 2000
“FILM; For Moviegoers, The Net’s Not Yet An Easy Option,” New York Times, March 1, 1998
