Contact

Email:  joel@joeljent.com
Cell:    +41 (0)78 748 66 77
IMDB:  imdb.me/joeljent

Born in 1983, grew up in Toggenburg (Switzerland). From 2004 to 2010 Joël Jent pursued a program of study in film, political science, philosophy and social/economic history at University of Zurich, which he completed in 2010 with a Master of Arts degree. He then worked briefly as a journalist. Since 2003, Joël Jent has written THE BLIND FERRYMAN (2024), EATING THE SILENCE (2021), WINDOWLESS (2019) and produced several short- and feature films (THE SAINT OF THE IMPOSSIBLE, BAGHDAD IN MY SHADOW, FACING MECCA, BON VOYAGE, IRAQI ODYSSEY). He directs documentary and fiction, i.e. EATING THE SILENCE, VIVRE LE PIANO (2009) and DÉSAMOUR (2014) and is a winner of the SSA grant (Société Suisse des Auteurs). Joël Jent is a member of the European- and the Swiss Film Academy and alumnus of the Zurich Film Festival Academy Class (2006), the EFP Producers on the Move program (2016), the Hezayah Screenwriting Lab (2021), EsoDoc European Social Documentary (2023) and IDFAcademy (2024). He is father to one son and works as an independent filmmaker and screenwriter in Zurich.

Awards / Nominations
2023 – EATING THE SILENCE – Best Short Film, Common Good Film Festival
2023 – EATING THE SILENCE – Best Social Short Film, Festival de Cine de Santa Cruz
2022 – EATING THE SILENCE – Best International Film, Balneário Camboriú Int. Film Festival
2022 – EATING THE SILENCE – Jury Award, Golden Beggar Int. Film Festival
2022 – EATING THE SILENCE – Best Foreign Film Award, Bristol Independent Film Festival
2022 – EATING THE SILENCE – Merit of Awareness Award, Awareness Film Festival
2022 – THE SAINT OF THE IMPOSSIBLE – Critics Award / Humans in Focus Award, Ibiza Cinefest
2022 – THE SAINT OF THE IMPOSSIBLE – Best Int. Ópera Prima Award, Festival Int. de Cine de Piélagos
2022 – DÉSAMOUR – Best Short Screenplay Award, Love Film Festival
2021 – THE SAINT OF THE IMPOSSIBLE – Jury Award (Best Film), Festival Nuovo Cinema Europa
2021 – THE BLIND FERRYMAN – Springboard Development Award, El Gouna Film Festival
2021 – THE SAINT OF THE IMPOSSIBLE – Best Fiction Award (Joseph Vilsmeier Preis), Filmfestival Kitzbühel
2020 – RADIOGRAPH OF A FAMILY – Best Feature Documentary, IDFA Int. Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
2020 – RADIOGRAPH OF A FAMILY – Reframe Award for Most Creative Use of Archive, IDFA Int. Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
2020 – THE BLIND FERRYMAN – Development Award, Malmö Film Market / Swedish Film Institute
2020 – THE BLIND FERRYMAN – Development Grant, SSA Sociéte Suisse des Auteurs
2020 – FENSTERLOS (WINDOWLESS) – Best Fiction Award, Jozi Film Festival
2020 – BAGHDAD IN MY SHADOW – Audience Award, Solothurner Filmtage
2020 – BAGHDAD IN MY SHADOW – Nomination for Best Fiction Film, Swiss Film Award
2019 – BAGHDAD IN MY SHADOW – Audience Award, Washington DC Film Festival – Arabian Sights
2018 – FACING MECCA – Best Short Film, Swiss Film Award
2017 – FACING MECCA – Silver Student Academy Award
2017 – FACING MECCA – Audience Award, Winterthurer Kurzfilmtage
2017 – FACING MECCA – Best of the Fest Award, Palm Springs Int. Film Festival
2017 – FACING MECCA – Best Student Film Award, Palm Springs Int. Film Festival
2017 – BON VOYAGE – Best Short Film, Swiss Film Award
2017 – BON VOYAGE – Audience Award, Bamberger Kurzfilmtage
2017 – BON VOYAGE – Audience Award, Sarasota Film Festival
2017 – BON VOYAGE – Best Narrative Short, Fargo Film Festival
2016 – BON VOYAGE – Best Narrative Short, San Diego Film Festival
2016 – BON VOYAGE – Best Int. Short Fiction Award, Jozi Film Festival
2016 – BON VOYAGE – Best Live Action Short, Palm Springs Int. Film Festival
2015 – IRAQI ODYSSEY – Nomination for Best Documentary, Swiss Film Award
2015 – IRAQI ODYSSEY – Zurich Film Award, Zurich Film Fund
2014 – DÉSAMOUR – Special Jury Mention, Festival Int. du Court Métrage de Tiznit
2014 – IRAQI ODYSSEY – Netpac Critics Award, Abu Dhabi Int. Film Festival
2013 – DÉSAMOUR – Best Music Award, Noida Int. Film Festival

Participations in Labs, Programs, Residencies and Master Classes
2024 – IDFAcademy
2024 – Ji.hlava Int. Documentary Film Festival – New Visions Forum
2024 – DOK Leipzig – Co-Production Market
2024 – When East Meets West – Co-Production Forum Trieste
2023 – EsoDoc – European Social Documentary Training Initiative
2023 – Reconnect Residency, Kulturförderung Kanton Baselland
2023 – FOCAL – Mentoring for Docs
2022 – Hezayah Screenwriting Lab – Doha Film Institute
2016 – Producer’s on the Move Program – European Film Promotion EFP / Cannes Film Festival
2006 – Zurich Film Festival Master Class / Zurich Film Festival Academy

Jury Member / Expert
2024 – Migros Kulturprozent, StoryLab – Jury Member
2024 – Swiss Federal Office for Culture, Selection process for the Swiss entry for the Oscars® 2025 – Jury President
2024 – Albert Koechlin Foundation AKS, Lucerne – Film Jury Member
2024 – Solothurner Filmtage – Long Format – Selection Committee Member
2023 – Swiss Federal Office for Culture, Selection process for the Swiss entry for the Oscars® 2024 – Jury President
2023 – Swiss Film Academy, Nomination Commission for the Swiss Film Award 2023 – Jury Member
2023 – Migros Kulturprozent, StoryLab – Jury Member
2023 – Albert Koechlin Foundation AKS, Lucerne – Film Jury Member
2023 – Solothurner Filmtage – Long Format – Selection Committee Member
2022 – Migros Kulturprozent, StoryLab – Jury Member
2022 – Swiss Federal Office for Culture, Selection process for the Swiss entry for the Oscars® 2023 – Jury Member
2022 – Albert Koechlin Foundation AKS, Lucerne – Film Jury Member
2022 – Swiss Film Academy, Nomination Commission for the Swiss Film Award 2022 – Jury Member
2021 – Swiss Federal Office for Culture, Selection process for the Swiss entry for the Oscars® 2022 – Jury Member
2021 – Migros Kulturprozent, StoryLab – Jury Member
2021 – Iranian Film Festival Zurich – Jury Member
2021 – Albert Koechlin Foundation AKS, Lucerne – Film Jury Member
2020 – Albert Koechlin Foundation AKS, Lucerne – Film Jury Member
2020 – DocFest Munich – Jury Member
2020 – ZHdK Zurich University of the Arts – Master Selection Committee – Directing / Creative Producing
2019 – Albert Koechlin Foundation AKS, Lucerne – Film Jury Member
2018 – Solothurner Filmtage – Upcoming Lab – Jury Member
2017 – Solothurner Filmtage – Upcoming Lab – Jury Member

Lectures / Teaching Positions
2017 – 2024 Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK – Lecturer in the field “Creative Producing” – Bachelor / Master of Arts in Film
2017 – 2020 Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK – Co-Head of the field “Creative Producing” – Master of Arts in Film
2016 – University of Zurich – Cinema Studies – Guest Lecturer
2012 – 2018 SAE Institute Switzerland – Lecturer in Digital Filmmaking