Unveiling Secrets: Jane Therese’s Untold Journey Beyond the Story

Jane Therese wrote the original screenplay “Sins of My Father” which won a 2020 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. I had the opportunity to chat with Jane about her creative background, her award-winning script, the craft of screenwriting, and what winning the Nicholl Award has meant to her.

Scott Myers: You have an eclectic background. Let’s see if we can provide some context. You’re originally from Southern California, is that right?

Jane Therese: Yes, I am from Southern California around the Peralta Hills area.

Scott: That’s where you grew up.

Jane: Yes. I went to a Catholic school, Cornelia Connelly, which unfortunately in December closed its doors. There were several parochial schools in the area at that time, Marywood, others. It was very interesting to have that happen on a chapter of my life.

Scott: You’re both a screenwriter and a photojournalist. Let’s start with photojournalism. How did you develop an interest in that?

Jane: I went to Fashion Institute of Technology, FIT. I left two weeks before graduation, which I still sometimes have nightmares about, that I didn’t complete it. But I left to go work. Part of that was in the fashion industry. I love the fashion industry.

I just found behind the scenes interesting, the psychology of people, why we do what we do, and situations that bring us to make the decisions we do. I began to gear my point of view more towards the journalism which is what I thoroughly love to do.

I went to Haiti, I just love that country, and it needs so much attention. I came back, put some work together and started at a newspaper. I am so grateful that my photo editor at the time allowed me to write and produce my own stories. It opened up a whole new world for me.

Scott: Originally, you did the Fashion Institute of Technology. That’s in New York City, were you involved in the fashion industry in New York?

Jane: Yeah, being in Fashion Institute of Technology, it was definitely geared towards fashion, and fashion photography and working with designers and clothes. The great thing was we could use the collection.