About Me

Jennifer Cooney was raised in a small Pennsylvania town, where her earliest and closest influence was her family: a close-knit group of hardworking, leading edge, business owners with hearts of gold. From a very early age, she was an astute observer of her surroundings; no detail, grand or minute, of character or circumstance escaped her attention. She nursed her innate curiosity of the human condition with poetry, photography, psychology, and film, constantly building the mental and emotional library of understanding within her. In college, she followed her passions, studying English, Communication & Rhetorical Studies, Psychology, and Philosophy, graduating with two majors and a double minor, all with Honors. Yet, her hunger to communicate human connection, her yearning to understand the human condition, and her quest to find answers to life’s perennial questions remained unsatiated. Then, in a flash of what she can only describe as a Higher Calling, she knew her most authentic truth could only be expressed through the art of film. From that day forward, she has been on a disciplined and heart-driven path, all ways leading to the Divine Expression of Love, Light, and her Self through her creations. The quintessence of the first generation of LGBTQ films was the “coming out story,” a vital and important step, but riddled with fear and shame. The emergence of Jennifer’s production company, HalfJack Generation, marked the birth of the next generation of lesbian filmmaking with its first Feature Film, Rain Beau’s End, written and produced by Jennifer. This next generation of lesbian films focuses instead on the lives of women whose sexuality adds to the strength, not the downfall, of who they are.
Jennifer is also a four-time published poet, a still photographer, and a painter, residing in the countryside of Pennsylvania with her wife and two dogs.

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“Jennifer is a Maestra of story and structure and every script she touches is far better for having been in her hands. A spectacular collaborator, she understands the transformative power and possibility of the medium. Jen is a once-in-a-lifetime talent that will evolve the medium itself.”
Stacy Bannerman, Author, Activist, Screenwriter

“There aren’t many writers I’ve met who can manage being attentive, focused, thoughtful and above all creative all at the same time. Jennifer is one of those rare talents.”
Joe Orlandino, Producer

“Jennifer Cooney ate my screenplay! (And when I got it back it was significantly improved in all kinds of ways, from character and structure to dialogue and action – how did I manage to miss so much?) Best script mastication ever.”
Geoff Dupuy-Holder, Award-Winning Screenwriter, 36-Time Published Author

“Working with Jennifer on rewrites of LOVE IS FREE WILL allowed me to open up my story to new avenues. Not to mention I cannot say enough about her eye for formatting and spelling errors which our mind starts to over look. After her feedback my script began placing in contests. She was and is an invaluable resource.”
Amanda Samaroo, Screenwriter

“She is one of the most balanced individuals I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Jennifer is not only a real human being but a human doing.”
Joe Orlandino, Producer

“Jennifer Cooney is the rare writer who enthusiastically welcomes collaboration, while at the same time maintaining her distinctly individual voice. She’s a pure joy to work with and bounce around fresh ideas and insights. Her characteristic wit, approachability and passionate conviction make the whole experience beyond rejuvenating.”
Lucia Mauro, Writer-Director

“Jen is a dynamite ally on any writing project! She’s one of the most balanced and versatile script doctors I’ve worked with. Her feedback strikes a great equilibrium of her own expectations as a fellow writer, audience member, and reader with a genuine concern for getting into your head to understand the story that YOU want to tell and helping you realize that vision. In terms of story construction, she’s as adept with pointers on shaping the overall structure as with down-and-dirty micro adjustments you can make immediately to straighten out individual scenes. Her personal commitment, as well as her credibility as an accomplished writer in her own right, come through in the fact that her comments simply aren’t a stack of generic, clinical tripe, but have a voice of their own. When Jen and I first worked together, there was a sizable pool of writers in our program to shake down for notes, but for the aforementioned reasons, Jen was someone I went to time and again for critiques that I knew would leave me with something clear and actionable, that would elevate the quality of my screenplay.”
Jason Montgomery, Screenwriter

“She is always a source of fresh ideas, compelling characters, dialogue that grabs you, and settings that make you feel like you’re in the scene. Her enthusiasm for the story manifests itself in the interactions and moods she creates. Her ability and willingness to work closely with directors and producers assists in providing a creative framework that helps develop the film’s mission and target audience.”
Joe Orlandino, Producer