RIANNA JAKSON IS An EXPERIMENTAL FILMMAKER BASED IN NEW ENGLAND SPECIALIZING IN DANCE, FASHION, and SPECIAL EVENTS.

Jakson has been honored with the 21st Century Leaders Award in the class of 2024 of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She graduates with a B.A. in Film Studies and a B.A. in Communication with a Certificate in Media Literacy.

Recipients of the award were chosen in recognition of their strong academic records and exemplary achievements. They also further distinguished themselves through intellectual accomplishments and will be recognized for the prestige and honor they bring to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, both as undergraduates and as alumni joining the larger community.

I love pouring myself into the title designs of film and television. My lifelong hobby in editing helped me realize the kinesthetic beauty in the camera and the cut. Behind the camera, I love to stay handheld and dance with subjects, and in the cutting room, I edit on emotion. I am drawn to experimental fashion and dance filmmaking for its profound interconnectedness in materiality and empathy. I will continue to develop my love for the stage as a Commercial Theater Development part-time graduate student at Boston University Metropolitan College.