About this Live Online Event
Step into the cutting room with Sundance Collab and BIPOC Doc Editors for a spirited conversation with the editorial team behind Patrice: The Movie — a documentary rom-com about the next frontier of marriage equality: disability. Discover how this heartfelt film came to life in the edit bay and what it means to tell love stories that push boundaries and break barriers.
The discussion brings together four key collaborators on the film:
- Editors Ephraim Kirkwood and John Tarquinio
- Associate editors Ally Southwood-Smith and Jenna A. Bush
Together, they’ll delve into the editing process of Patrice: The Movie, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and began streaming on Hulu in September 2024. The film chronicles the lives of a disabled couple in their 50s who risk losing their health benefits should they choose to marry. Told with a light touch, the film is a charming, “infectiously giddy” (POV Magazine) ode to its protagonists with a “crowd-pleasing finish” (New York Times).
In this session, the editing team will break down key scenes and offer useful tips for documentary editors. The team brings a wealth of experience to the table: Tarquinio was an editor on the Peabody-winning series Philly D.A. and Kirkwood served as an editor on the landmark 1619 Project. Southwood-Smith worked as an associate editor on the celebrated 2024 documentary Union and Bush served as editor/writer on the 2021 doc Mallory.
All registrants will receive a link to stream Patrice: The Movie shortly before the event.
This event is part of the “Inside the Edit with BIPOC Doc Editors” series, a program hosted by Sundance Collab in collaboration with BIPOC Doc Editors. Don’t miss this chance to explore the craft of documentary editing with industry leaders. Click here to view our previous “Inside the Edit” event with the editing team behind Spermworld.
If you would benefit from an accommodation to fully participate in this event, please complete this form, contact us at (435) 776-7790, or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific requests. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; requests made within 5 days of the event may not be guaranteed.
Live event registration for this Sundance Collab online event is free of charge. A recording of this event will be posted to our Video Library the next business day following the event. All registered attendees can watch the recording for two business days after it is posted. After that, on-demand access to the recording can be purchased for $10.
Live Online EventTeam
Jenna A. Bush
Jenna A. Bush is an award winning documentary editor and filmmaker. As a member of the disability community, she is consistently striving for greater representation both on screen and in the edit room. Credits include writing and editing the features FENCING FOR THE EDGE (2024) and MALLORY (Gravitas Ventures, 2021). She was recently an associate editor for the TIFF-premiered PATRICE: THE MOVIE (Hulu, 2024), a feature highlighting disability rights and marriage inequality, which screened at CIFF (Best Documentary Audience Award), BFI London, and the DOCNYC Winner’s Circle. Her short documentary, HELLO TO JULIA (2022), which she wrote/directed/edited, screened at the Woodstock International Film Festival and received awards from various festivals including Best Editing. Jenna’s short MINOR DETAILS received multiple accolades as well and aired on NJTV for many years. She is currently on the edit team for a disability centered feature documentary in post-production and is savoring her time as a 2024-2025 Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellow.
Ally Southwood-Smith
Ally Southwood-Smith is a documentary editor passionate about crafting stories that amplify the voices of QTBIPOC and other marginalized communities. With a keen eye for storytelling and a deep commitment to representation, Ally’s work challenges conventional narratives while creating space for underrepresented perspectives. Their film editing journey began as an assistant editor on the SXSW-premiered Bulletproof, followed by contributions to notable projects like Ailey (Sundance) and Free Money (TIFF).
An alum of the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship, Ally continues to refine their craft and expand their network. As associate editor, they helped shape the award-winning Union (Sundance | Art of Change Award), and the TIFF-premiered Patrice: The Movie (CIFF: Best Documentary Audience Award).
As lead editor, Ally’s recent projects include the short film Estranged Letters (ChiFilmFest, DOCNYC) and two feature documentaries currently in post-production. Their work is driven by a passion for amplifying diverse voices and telling untold stories.
John Tarquinio
John Tarquinio is an award-winning documentary film editor. Tarquinio was a co-editor on the critically acclaimed docuseries PHILLY D.A. (PBS/Topic, 2021). The series premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and screened at the Berlinale. The series received numerous awards, including a Gotham Award for “Best Breakthrough Non-fiction Series,” a Peabody Award, a duPont-Columbia Award, and a Hot Docs Audience Award. It was also a finalist for an IDA Award and a Cinema Eye.
John was an assistant editor on the Oscar-shortlisted documentary film 32 SOUNDS (Abramorama, 2023), directed by Sam Green. The film was listed in Variety’s “Best Documentaries of 2023” and received a Cinema Eye for “Outstanding Non-Fiction.” Additional assistant editor credits include the Sundance-selected film BRAVO, BURKINA! (2023), and documentary short BOTTLEBACK (2018), featuring Kurt Vile.
Most recently John was an editor on the TIFF-premiered documentary PATRICE: THE MOVIE (Hulu, 2024), directed by Ted Passon. He is an editor at All Ages Productions.
Ephraim Kirkwood
Ephraim Kirkwood is an award-winning, two-time Emmy nominated Editor whose credits include the Peabody-awarded Netflix series High On The Hog, the SXSW Grand Jury Award-winning feature film Master Of Light and the Emmy-awarded Hulu limited docu-series, The 1619 Project. His other editorial contributions include ESPN’s 30 For 30, HBO’s original special Between The World And Me, and Showtime’s docu-series Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men.
In 2023 he was selected as one of DOC NYC's 40 under 40 and nominated for Cinema Eye Honors in Broadcast Editing. He is an alumni of the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship and a doc lab advisor for the Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund. Ephraim was an ambassador for the film diplomacy program, American Film showcase produced by the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. His latest editing credit includes the TIFF-premiered documentary Patrice: The Movie.
Soheil Rezayazdi
Moderator | Digital Course & Event Producer
Soheil Rezayazdi is a Digital Course & Event Producer at the Sundance Institute, where he produces multi-session courses, master classes, filmmaker Q&As, and other digital programs for Sundance Collab. Prior to Sundance, Soheil served as the Nonfiction Programs Manager at the Gotham Film & Media Institute. He oversaw the Gotham’s core documentary programs: the Documentary Feature Lab, the Spotlight on Documentaries project market, and the Documentary Development Initiative in partnership with HBO Documentary Films. Soheil has worked with emerging filmmakers since 2015, when he began a seven-year tenure at the Columbia University MFA Film Program. At Columbia he managed the Columbia University Film Festival (CUFF), the Dr. Saul and Dorothy Kit Film Noir Festival, and the Carla Kuhn Memorial Speaker Series.
Soheil is also a freelance writer on film and pop culture with articles in Indiewire, McSweeney’s, Vice, Filmmaker Magazine, Documentary Magazine, Paper, Paste, and elsewhere. He has also served as an external reviewer for artist programs operated by Creative Capital, Kartemquin Pictures, Chicken & Egg Pictures, and the International Documentary Association. A native of Iran, he holds an MA in journalism and a BA in film studies from the University of Iowa.