Jann Turner

Jann Turner
Turner in 1997
Born1964 (age 59–60)
Occupation(s)Film director, novelist, screenwriter, television director
Years active1990s–present
Parent(s)Rick Turner
Barbara Hubbard
RelativesKen Follett (step-father)

Jann Turner (born 1964)[1] is a South African film director, novelist, television director and screenwriter. Her feature film directorial debut was the 2009 film White Wedding.[2]

Life and career

Turner was born to anti-Apartheid academic Rick Turner and later politician Barbara Hubbard. Her father was killed in front of her when she was thirteen years old; her parents were divorced at that time. Turner along with her younger sister, Kim, spent most of their childhood living in Cape Town, with their mother.[3] Three months after her father's murder, the family fled to Britain due to threats of being banned. Turner completed her education in Britain and the United States, graduating from Oxford University and Tisch School of the Arts.[1]

Prior to film directing, Turner worked as an editor for television specials at National Geographic Society, and directed and produced episodic television shows in South Africa.[1] Turner then moved to Los Angeles, where she now lives with her two children, and directed episodes of The Big C, Emily Owens, M.D., The Carrie Diaries and 9-1-1.

Turner is also a novelist and has authored the novels Heartland, Southern Cross and Home Is Where You Find It.[4] She has also written for the teen drama Teen Wolf.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Jann Turner". Literarytourism.co.za. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  2. ^ "It's a Nice Day for Jann Turner's "White Wedding" | Filmmakers, Film Industry, Film Festivals, Awards & Movie Reviews". Indiewire. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  3. ^ Dixon, Robyn (6 January 2011). "Filmmaker sees South Africa through a gentle but keen eye". Los Angeles Times. Johannesburg. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  4. ^ Jann Turner. "Jann Turner (Author of Heartland)". Goodreads.com. Retrieved 25 May 2013.