Seeking Mavis Beacon – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

Jazmin Jones’ SEEKING MAVIS BEACON opens in theaters – Brandy McDonnell reports

September 5, 2024September 3, 2024 Brandy McDonnell Black women, brandy mcdonnell, computer program icon, computer softwear typing, deep fakes, documentary, humanization of the artificial intelligence, Jazmin Jones, Olivia McKayla Ross, Renee L’esperance, Seeking Mavis Beacon, the week in women, twiw

After premiering in the NEXT section at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Jazmin Jones documentary “Seeking Mavis Beacon” is finding its way into theaters in select cities. The documentary is the directorial debut for Jazmin Jones, a Black, queer filmmaker based in Brooklyn, New York, Seeking Mavis Beacon, is described as a hybrid documentary that blends myth and memory to uncover the truth behind an unsung hero in Black history: Mavis Beacon.

Reviews

SEEKING MAVIS BEACON – Review by Lynn Venhaus

September 3, 2024September 4, 2024 Lynn Venhaus Black women, computer program icon, computer softwear typing, deep fakes, documentary, humanization of the artificial intelligence, Jazmin Jones, Olivia McKayla Ross, Renee L’esperance, Seeking Mavis Beacon

An ambitious science fair experiment of a documentary, Seeking Mavis Beacon wanted answers it couldn’t obtain, but raised more questions on representation, privacy, exploitation, racism and sexism that should be addressed. Imaginative artist Jazmin Jones and assistant Olivia McKayla Ross embarked on a mission to examine the legacy of an influential black woman who became a symbol of success in the early days of cyberspace.

Interviews

JAZMIN JONES on SEEKING MAVIS BEACON, the Digital Age and Deep Fakes – Nell Minow interviews

August 21, 2024August 27, 2024 Nell Minow Black women, computer program icon, computer softwear typing, deep fakes, documentary, humanization of the artificial intelligence, Jazmin Jones, Olivia McKayla Ross, Renee L’esperance, Seeking Mavis Beacon

In the 1980s, when the ability to use a keyboard went from a clerical skill to an essential proficiency for accessing the Internet, the most popular software for learning how to type came in a box with a picture of a beautiful Black woman in a business suit, looking like a supremely confident and capable professional. The program featured a figure using the limited technology of the time presented as this woman, leading users through games to help them learn the keyboard. The model for the box and the pixilated avatar was named Mavis Beacon.