An Evening with Filmmaker Andrew Jenks

Emmy and Peabody-nominated filmmaker Andrew Jenks doesn’t just interview his subjects - he moves in with them. As The New York Times remarked, “Jenks takes his camera to places most of us just as soon forget.” 

It all began when, at 19, Jenks spent an entire summer living in a nursing home, filming and editing 200 hours of footage. When HBO acquired the film, Jenks became the youngest person in history to sell a feature film to a major distributor. In the 20 years since, Jenks has lived with people from all walks of life - from the streets with the homeless, to private planes with jet-setting billionaires, to his  past three years crisscrossing the globe filming the world’s top international hostage negotiator. 

In this one-night-only event, Jenks shares powerful and colorful stories from these immersive experiences, using his signature blend of humor, honesty, and heart. At a moment in time when division often overshadows dialogue, his work reminds us how vital empathy and genuine human connection are - especially with those whose lives may look very different from our own. To bring these stories to life, he’ll play clips from his films, including unreleased footage, followed by a Q&A that underscores why getting to know one another matters now more than ever.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Ark at Shames JCC on the Hudson, 371 South Broadway, Tarrytown, United States