DEEP REVERENCE

 Born in Nashville and raised in South Los Angeles, Jenise Whitehead has always found comfort in the arts for self-expression. Learning oil painting and jazz in Leimert Park was pivotal to planting the seed that would later bloom into a passion for still photography and travel; and soon after, cinematography.

Jenise Whitehead earned a BA Spanish from San Francisco State University after studying abroad in la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Upon her graduation, she co-directed Gideon’s Cross in Outfest Los Angeles’ OutSet program. The film screened at Outfest Fusion, Outfest LA, Outfest Santo Domingo, Outfest LA Online by DirecTV, Models of Pride, as well as private screenings at APA Agency and Pacific Theatres at The Grove.

She then trained in Panavision Hollywood’s two-year program and joined IATSE International Cinematographers Guild Local 600. After spending the past few years furthering her craft while crewing on award-winning shows such as Insecure, Unbelievable, Gentefied, Diary of a Future President, Waffles + Mochi, Young Sheldon, in addition to many other productions, she was invited to participate in American Film Institute’s inaugural Cinematography Intensive for Women. Recently, Jenise Whitehead earned her MFA Cinematography at the American Film Institute where she was awarded the Perenchio Family Endowed Scholarship as well as the Tom Yoda Scholarship in recognition of her potential as a storyteller.

As a director and cinematographer, Jenise intends to lens stories that examine the intersection of identities often marginalized in society; to humanize experiences that have yet to be fully explored in cinema.