About

Carolyn Panknin

Carolyn Panknin is a director and producer based in both Los Angeles and Chicago. She earned her BFA in Photography from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she began her career working on notable projects such as Saturday Night Live, Broad City for Comedy Central, and NBCU’s Mr. Robot. Initially working in the art department on short films, music videos, and feature films, Jamie later transitioned to writing, directing, and producing.

Raised in the Chicago suburbs as a Jehovah's Witness, Carolyn left the faith at the age of 17, a life experience that offers a distinct perspective that deeply informs her storytelling. Her background in photography, coupled with her time at Panavision, has influenced her unique cinematic style, allowing her to bring a distinctive visual approach to her work.

Carolyn’s first short film received an Honorable Mention at the 2024 BlackBird Film Festival in New York. Her producing credits include the upcoming feature film Escaping Ohio, starring Emily Bergl from Shameless and Adam Pascal from Rent, slated for release in November 2024.