Marcia Jarmel

With 20+ years’ experience, and 9 years working in Cuba, PatchWorks Films tells intimate stories that invoke complicated questions about family, faith, and identity. Their 6 award-winning features and numerous shorts have broadcast worldwide and screened at festivals, schools, organizations, and community venues, facilitating complicated community conversations, enriching curriculum, and sometimes impacting legislation. Their most recent feature, LOS HERMANOS/THE BROTHERS, won the Best Documentary Award at its Woodstock Film Festival premiere.

Their previous Cuban feature, HAVANA CURVEBALL screened in six countries, winning Best Documentary awards at the Boston and Seattle Children’s Film Festival, a special juror award at the Olympia Festival in Greece and a spot on School Library Journal’s “Best of 2014” list. Their previous film, SPEAKING IN TONGUES, aired on PBS, won the Audience Award at the San Francisco Film Festival, and remains a catalyst for changing language education worldwide. Previous films include the ITVS-funded BORN IN THE USA, which aired on Independent Lens and was hailed as the “best film on childbirth” by the former director of maternal health at the World Health Organization, and several shorts.

Marcia Jarmel has produced and directed a slate of award-winning films for PatchWorks Films. She also works as a consultant and impact strategist on a broad range of films, including the Oscar nominee LAST DAY OF FREEDOM and HBO’s Emmy-nominated 50 CHILDREN.

Marcia has taught both undergrad and graduate film courses at NYU and Chapman University and been honored with residencies with Working Films, the Fledgling Fund, SFFilm, the Kopkind Colony, and BAVC Media Maker. She has served as a juror for the Emmys, BAVC MediaMaker, and many film festivals.

Other credits include co-editing the Academy Award nominee, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, and assistant producing the Academy Award nominees, BERKELEY IN THE SIXTIES and FREEDOM ON MY MIND. Prior to founding PatchWorks, Marcia directed and produced THE RETURN OF SARAH’S DAUGHTERS (Women in the Director’s Chair, DocuWeek, Cinequest, APT) and THE F WORD (Living Room Festival, AFI’s VideoFest and the Judy Chicago film series at the Brooklyn Museum of Art).