Tom Jennings

Tom Jennings is a multi-award-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist. He has written, produced and directed more than 400 hours of programming for such networks as CBS, DISCOVERY CHANNEL, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL, INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY, MSNBC, PBS, THE TRAVEL CHANNEL, THE HISTORY CHANNEL and the new 3D channel, 3NET.

Tom’s work runs the gamut of subject matter, from politics and religion to history, crime, sports, mystery and travel. He has produced documentary films all around the globe, from major world capitals to some of the most remote places on earth – always looking for new ways to tell stories that are informative and entertaining.

In 2004, Tom started his own company – Tom Jennings Productions – bringing together a group of top-rate production professionals. From research and writing, to filming, editing, art direction, music composition and graphic design, the company quickly became a gathering place for highly creative, focused pros. Then in 2012, Tom rebranded his company as 1895 Films to reflect a broadening of its focus and expansion into international productions and co-productions. “1895 was the year the Lumière brothers launched the brave new world of moving pictures, we thought it was a fitting way to mark our move into new geographic and cinematic territory,” noted Tom.

That new cinematic territory includes feature-length documentaries and scripted programming. Currently, Tom has two completed feature documentaries that are being showcased in multiple film festivals: Out of Left Field and 20,000 Miles on a Horse. The former, which chronicles the inspiring story of two American baseball coaches who help train the Chinese Olympic baseball team, recently won the award for Best Cultural Exchange Film at the Chinese American Film Festival and is currently in development to become a scripted, theatrical film.

Tom’s work has been recognized by numerous awards and acknowledgements over the years, including a 2015 Emmy nomination for the Fidel Castro Tapes; 2013 Peabody Award, Emmy nomination and the Cine Golden Eagle Award for MLK: The Assassination Tapes; Bronze Medal in the 2012 New York Festival for Taking Down the Mob and Silver Medals in 2011 for The Lost JFK Tapes and The Conspirator documentary; 29 Telly Awards; an Emmy nomination in 2010 for The Lost JFK Tapes.

He started his career as a print journalist, writing for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press. In 1994, Tom was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting for a series of articles about fraud in the California State Disability Insurance office. The series created massive change in how California does business and wound up saving tax payers tens of millions of dollars.