Jan Oxenberg


Jan Oxenberg is an American film producer, director, editor, and screenwriter. She is known for her work in lesbian feminist films and in television.

Career

Oxenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1950.
She attended Barnard College for two years where she was active in the experimental college, a collaborative, co-living, and self-directed schooling experiment between Barnard and Columbia University starting in 1968. Oxenberg transferred to California Institute of the Arts and initially she studied feminist art with Judy Chicago and Miriam Shapiro, but later transferring into the CalArts film school. In 1972, Oxenberg was one of the many participants in Womanhouse, the first feminist art installation and performance art.
In the 1970s she was involved with ELF, a traveling educational resource, carrying information and books on liberation movements, racism, ecology and more. Around 1974 she was active in producing a radio series called "Lesbian Sisters" on KPFK Los Angeles.
She has also worked as a producer and writer on Pretty Little Liars. Other credits include Cold Case, Kidnapped, In Plain Sight, and Chicago Hope.
Since 2013, Oxenberg has been adapting James Ellroy's memoir, My Dark Places for a screenplay and film production by Myriad Pictures.

Personal life

Oxenberg is Jewish, and openly lesbian. Oxenberg has been out as a lesbian since the early portion of the second wave feminist movement. For many years she dated musician Sonia Wieder-Atherton.

Filmography

YearTitleTypeRoleNotes
1997Relativitytelevision series dramawriterOxenberg wrote the 1997 Relativity episode that featured the first kiss between two lesbian characters on American primetime television.
1998–1999Chicago Hopetelevision series dramafilm producer
1999–2001Once and Againtelevision series dramafilm producer, writer She wrote for Once and Again, which had a pioneering storyline of a lesbian teenage couple.
2001The Education of Max Bickfordfilm producer
2002Robbery Homicide Divisionfilm producer
2003Mister Sterlingfilm producer
2003–2004Cold Casetelevision series police proceduralfilm producer
2006–2007Kidnappedfilm producer
2008Long Island Confidentialfilm producer
2011In Plain Sightfilm producer
2013Pretty Little Liarsfilm producer