Jenifer Westphal - Founder, CEO and Executive Producer at Wavelength

Jenifer Westphal is the Founder and CEO at Wavelength, an Emmy-Winning film studio committed to developing, producing and financing films that tell great f**king stories. She raised and homeschool ed her 3 now adult sons — including one who is in Autism Spectrum. Once the youngest had gone off to college, she looked around her empty house and said to her husband, “I’m going to start a film company.” Jenifer was in her 50s when she decided to make the leap to producing films. Named one of Variety's "10 Producers to Watch" in 2020, Jenifer has served as executive producer for countless award-winning documentary and independent films, including the smash hits KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE, WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?, and Emmy-winners FEELS GOOD MAN and ATHLETE A. Through the WAVE Grant program, she focuses on breaking barriers by taking a special interest in fostering female talent, first-time filmmakers, and creators of color. A former member of the Women of Sundance Leadership Council and Chicken & Egg Pictures, Jenifer has served as a participant on numerous panels at festivals, including Sundance Catalyst. Outside of her work in film, she serves as an advisory board member and grantor for the Good Work Foundation, an organization with the mission to lead a digitally-empowered education model for rural Africa and the world. She previously worked on political campaigns (including Walter Mondale’s 1984 run for the White House) and engaged in philanthropic work, raising funds for various individuals and events. A few takeaways from our chat include: Navigating agism in Hollywood How motherhood prepared her to be a producer What financiers expect and want filmmakers to know