Jen McGowan is a renowned director based in Los Angeles, with a remarkable career spanning feature films, television, and short films.
Her recent feature film, the survival thriller Rust Creek, was released in theaters by IFC Midnight, receiving widespread acclaim and hailed as "the feminist thriller Hollywood needs right now" by Harper's Bazaar. Upon its release on Netflix, it premiered at #3 of all film & tv in the US and stayed in the top ten for over a week. Rust Creek also made the top ten on Netflix in 40 countries and was certified "fresh" at 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.
McGowan's first feature, the dramedy Kelly & Cal, premiered at SXSW, where she won the Gamechanger Award. The film was released theatrically by IFC Films to rave reviews, with a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Her award-winning short films, Confessions of a Late Bloomer and Touch, played at over a hundred festivals worldwide, winning the majority and qualifying for the Oscar.
In television, McGowan has directed multiple episodes of Star Trek: Discovery for Secret Hideout/Paramount+, Titans for HBOMax, The Twilight Zone for Monkeypaw/Paramount+, and The Purge for Blumhouse/USA.
Alongside her partner Eliza Lee, McGowan co-created the series Angelica, about the last remaining abortion clinic in a small Midwest town, and Replica, the true story of a pair of unassuming high school teachers who, after their deaths, were discovered to have been prolific art thieves.
As the creator of Glass Elevator (2015-2021),a free international skill-sharing, networking & jobs resource for professional women in film & television, McGowan oversaw the growth of the organization to over 5,000 members, who benefited from over 300 classes & events and access to over 700 jobs. Glass Elevator was named Best in LA by LA Weekly, part of the Sundance Women's Initiative Resource, and featured in Forbes.
McGowan has received numerous accolades, including being selected for the DirectHer program, a Film Independent Fellow, a finalist for the Clint Eastwood Filmmakers Award, and a recipient of the AWD Breakout Award for Excellence in Directing. She was also named one of Vulture's Women Directors Hollywood Should Be Hiring.
In her free time, McGowan trains as an amateur boxer with Golden Gloves champ Jill Morley and Gold Medal Olympian Wayne McCullough. She is married to documentary Director & Producer Phil Lott and shares her life with their dog Ellie.
