Hello!
I’m an animator, illustrator, and screenwriter based in New York City. I've been studying art, animation, screenwriting, and filmmaking since high school. I attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia from 2021 to its sudden closure in June 2024 as a 2D Animation major and Screenwriting minor. Since August 2024, I have attended the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan as an Animation major. I’m currently in my senior year.
I'm inspired by 90s animation, video games, retro designs, comics, and the recent Spider-verse movies. I've produced and assisted in several live-action and animated films.
Between 2021 and 2024, I was an assistant director of "The Coroner" and action coordinator of "A Little Blue," two live-action short films produced by Solomon Troupe. I was also a color artist for "Forces of Nature," an animated short film by Morgan Kersey. During my freshman year at UArts, I started a literary and arts magazine called Zap Outlet. We produced six issues with student-produced work. My sophomore film, "Idea Box," was selected for the inaugural POV film showcase hosted by the UArts and selected for the 2024 Trenton Film Festival. My junior film, “Valhalla,” was selected for the 2024 Short Short Fest.
I was awarded the Andrade International Travel Scholarship in May 2024. This scholarship funded travel to Denmark, Sweden, and Iceland to explore and study Norse culture.
Email: jpensabene02@gmail.com
Awards:
Trenton Film Festival (2024)
Short Short Fest (2024)
Andrade International Travel Scholarship (2024)
POV Film Showcase (2023)
Fine Art Award (2021)