About

Jaclyn Bethany is an actress and Emmy award winning filmmaker. Called "fast rising" and "one to watch" by Variety Magazine, she is a recent graduate of the prestigious American Film Institute Conservatory with an M.F.A. in Directing. She has written, produced and directed numerous short films which have played festivals worldwide. Her AFI Thesis Film The Delta Girl starring Isabelle Fuhrman and Caitlin Carver premiered at HollyShorts in 2018. Jaclyn's work focuses on complex women, stories rooted in her Southern upbringing, complex female protagonists and LGBTQ stories from the female gaze.

In addition to AFI, Ms. Bethany holds a B.A. in Acting from Fordham University, an M.A. in Screenwriting from The London Film School. The Rehearsal, her digital series in which she created and stars, won a 2020 Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Digital Drama for actress Tina Benko. Her first feature film Indigo Valley was released by Giant Pictures and is available via Amazon and Apple TV. Her second feature Highway One is an ensemble dramedy set on New Year's Eve. The film world premiered at Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and has played festivals such as Defy (Nashville), Vail FF, Not FF (Italy, Best Ensemble Award), New York Film Week and Evolution! Mallorca. The film premieres in London Nov 7th followed by a UK wide release through Bohemia UK. Jaclyn recently wrapped principal photography on indie feature Before the World Set Fire featuring Brooke Bloom (She's Lost Control) and Samuel Levine (Broadway's The Inheritance) and ensemble drama The Falling World, both which she wrote and directed. In Summer 2021, she directed feature film The Invisible Girl, a queer spin on Mary Shelley's classic gothic romance. She recently received the MFVA grant for Deployed, co-produced in Mississippi by Sarah Beth Solop and written by Amy Berryman. As an actor, she can be seen in David Fincher's Mank for Netflix, indie feature Under the Lantern Lit Sky (Brooklyn FF 2021), British arthouse film Venice at Dawn and the lead in short film Fun Sized Trouble. Her theater credits include workshops and productions at Clubbed Thumb (Off-Bway), Powerhouse/NY Stage and Film, the Berkshire Theatre Festival, Arcola Theatre (London), among others. She is represented by Buchwald and Unison Management for commercial/music videos.

She co-founded Constellation Magazine which ran from 2016-2018 digitally and profiled women in the arts worldwide. Jaclyn also teaches filmmaking, screenwriting and acting and has held guest teaching positions at the London Film School, among other institutions.