Janell Shirtcliff (born 1982 or 1983) is an American filmmaker, photographer, and music video director. She also worked as a model for a decade, and as an actor for which she has been praised. She made her film directorial debut with 2021's Habit. Her photography has been featured in publications including Variety,[2][3] Billboard,[4] Nylon,[5][6][7] and Teen Vogue.[8]
Janell Shirtcliff | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1982 or 1983 (age 41–42)[a] |
| Occupations |
|
| Notable work | Habit |
| Website | janellshirtcliff |
Career
editMusic videos
editShirtcliff has directed music videos for songs including The Band Perry's "The Good Life",[9] Bethany Cosentino's "It's Fine",[10] Tashaki Miyaki's "Anyone But You",[11] and Mayer Hawthorne's "Over".[12]
Photography
editShirtcliff first got into photography when she started shooting images for her online store Lonelydot, through which she sells vintage clothes.[1] She photographed Phoebe Bridgers for a cover story in Variety in 2021.[13][2]
Film
editShirtcliff made her feature directorial debut with the 2021 film Habit, which she also cowrote with her childhood best friend Libby Mintz.[14] The film is set in Los Angeles and stars Bella Thorne as a party girl from Corpus Christi and Paris Jackson as Jesus.[14][15] The film was negatively received, accruing a 6% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 16 critics,[16] including The Guardian's Leslie Felperin who called the film a "John Waters wannabe".[17] The film also generated controversy, including a petition to block the film's release with nearly 300,000 signatures claiming that the film was Christianophobic because Jackson's Jesus was portrayed as a lesbian, though the film's promotional materials and logline did not indicate the claim was true.[15] A second petition started by One Million Moms gained over 70,000 signatures, calling the film "sacrilegious".[18] Gavin Rossdale, who plays a drug dealer named Eric in the film, praised Shirtcliff and said they built a great rapport with each other.[19]
Shirtcliff directed the documentary film Mother of the Dawn, about Vale do Amanhecer founder Tia Neiva. She first discovered Neiva from a photo while browsing online, and was inspired by the image. She pitched the idea of the documentary to producer Tommy Savas.[20] Mother of the Dawn premiered at the Rollins Theatre in Austin, Texas, as part of the 2022 South by Southwest festival's Documentary Shorts Competition.[20][21]
Shirtcliff is set to direct another film called The Edge of Nowhere, also featuring Rossdale.[19]
Other work
editPrior to her photography career, Shirtcliff worked as a model for ten years, posing for companies including Levi's and Urban Outfitters.[1]
Shirtcliff appeared as an actor in the music video for Katy Perry's 2013 single "Unconditionally", directed by Aya Tanimura.[22] She also acted in the film Dirty Old Town alongside Billy Leroy,[23] for which Variety's Andrew Barker said hers was the standout performance.[24]
Personal life
editShirtcliff lives in Corpus Christi, Texas, having lived in the Texas Coastal Bend region since moving from California at age 12.[14] She has two children, one of whom is a son named Bowie.[1][14] As of November 2014, Shirtcliff was engaged to Youngblood Hawke singer Sam Martin.[1]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e Langmuir, Molly (November 1, 2014). "Jet-Setter: Where to Stay, Eat, and Shop in Portland". Elle. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Aswad, Jem (March 10, 2021). "How Grammy Nominee Phoebe Bridgers Became a Lockdown Rock Star". Variety. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (February 12, 2019). "Pamela Adlon on How Better Things Season 3 Almost Didn't Happen". Variety. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ "Emeli Sandé: The Billboard Photo Shoot". Billboard. November 4, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Taylor, Jade (May 2015). "Eternal Summer". Nylon. pp. 74–75. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Farah, Safy-Hallan (July 2015). "Kari Faux". Nylon. p. 66. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Yotka, Steff (April 16, 2014). "Janell Shirtcliff's Coachella Diary". Nylon. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Adams Achara, Esther (March 2015). "The New Girl". Teen Vogue. p. 90. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Parton, Chris (July 30, 2019). "The Band Perry Conjure Nightmares in 'The Good Life' Video". Sounds Like Nashville. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Kelly, Tyler Damara (May 3, 2023). "Bethany Cosentino confirms Best Coast is on indefinite hiatus". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ "Tashaki Miyaki、最新MV「Anyone But You」を公開" [Tashaki Miyaki and the latest MV "Anyone But You" released]. Uncanny (in Japanese). June 23, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Vigil, Dom (October 16, 2019). "Mayer Hawthorne Releases New Single, 'Over'". Prelude Press. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ "Uncovered". Variety. March 10, 2021. p. 6.
- ^ a b c d Howley, Christopher (August 18, 2021). "Corpus Christi native Janell Shirtcliff makes directorial debut with Habit". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Moreau, Jordan (July 4, 2020). "'Blasphemous' Film Habit Starring Paris Jackson as Jesus Sparks Petition to Block Release". Variety. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ "Habit". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Felperin, Leslie (November 16, 2021). "Habit review – high camp nuns on the run from John Waters wannabe". The Guardian. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Burwick, Kevin (July 1, 2020). "Petition Wants Paris Jackson's Lesbian Jesus Movie Banned". MovieWeb. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Hullender, Tatiana (August 20, 2021). "Gavin Rossdale Interview: Habit". Screen Rant. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Baratta, Franchesca. "Mother of the Dawn | A Conversation About the Untold Story of Vale Do Amanhecer". Flaunt. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ "Mother of the Dawn". South by Southwest. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ "Katy Perry's 'Unconditionally' Lyric Video Could Be A Real Music Video". Vibe. October 20, 2013. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Atkinson, Michael (May 25, 2011). "Dirty Old Town: A Low-Budget Ode to No-Budget NY". The Village Voice. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Barker, Andrew (December 22, 2011). "Dirty Old Town". Variety. p. 10.
