Biography

Jules Rosskam is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker, artist, and educator. Through the use of autoethnography and hybrid forms, Rosskam's interdisciplinary practice investigates the means by which we construct individual and collective histories and identities.

Born in Chicago and raised in Philadelphia, Rosskam received a BA in Visual Arts from Bennington College in 2001. He then moved to New York City, where he developed a successful editing and production career working for MTV, The History Channel, Curious Pictures, and a wide variety of independent artists. While in New York, Rosskam joined the non-profit media arts organization Dyke TV, which produced an award-winning cable access television show for the queer community. Rosskam rose through the ranks to Executive Producer, and became one of the key organizers of the show and organization.

In 2005 Rosskam premiered his first feature film, transparent, which was released to critical acclaim and awards both internationally and stateside. Frameline Distribution acquired the film in 2006, and it continues to be one of their most popular films. The film has screened in over 50 film festivals and had its broadcast premiere on PBS in June 2008.

In 2006, Rosskam moved to Chicago to obtain a MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he studied with artists such as Gregg Bordowitz, Frédéric Moffet, Sadie Benning, and the late Barbara DeGeneivive. While in Chicago, Jules co-founded the popular monthly screening series, Threat Level Queer Shorts, which ran from 2008-2010.

In Summer 2007, Jules received a Fellowship from The Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media, to support the development of his second feature documentary, against a trans narrative. The film went on to play at film festivals worldwide and had its broadcast premiere on the CBC in June 2010. The Video Data Bank also acquired the film for distribution in 2010.

With the generous support of the Center for Independent Documentary and the LEF Foundation, he completed his fourth feature-length film, Paternal Rites, a first-person essay film that explores the extraordinary and quotidian trauma of being in a family.

Rosskam is also a fine artist whose paintings, installations, and performances have shown in galleries and venues throughout the U.S. and Europe. Additionally, he is a noted lecturer, speaker, and professor who has held positions at Hampshire College, SUNY Old Westbury, and Indiana University-Purdue, Fort Wayne. He is currently assistant professor of visual arts at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

- IMDb mini biography by: Jules Rosskam