The Music Hall, MacDowell, and New Hampshire Public Radio present Across the Table Conversations, a multidisciplinary talks series spotlighting emerging and established MacDowell Fellows in public conversation. This special New Hampshire Film Festival edition will feature celebrated documentary filmmaker Jessica Kingdon in conversation with writer/director Courtney Stephens. NHPR’s Rick Ganley will moderate the conversation.

Jessica Kingdon
Jessica is a Chinese-American director/producer named one of “25 New Faces of Independent Film” by Filmmaker Magazine and selected for the 2020 DOC NYC “40 Under 40” list. Her documentary Ascension登楼叹 was nominated for an Oscar at the 94th Academy Awards. She is currently directing an untitled animal project supported by Sandbox Films and Impact Partners, produced with Protozoa Pictures. Her films have received support from organizations including SFFILM, Chicken & Egg, Cinereach, Sundance, Field of Vision, and Firelight Media. She is also working with Real Lava to produce an untitled panda film with support from the Redford Center.

Courtney Stephens
Courtney is a writer/director of four feature films and many shorts. Terra Femme, composed of amateur travel footage shot by women in the early 20th century, was a New York Times critic’s pick and has toured widely as a live performance. The American Sector (with Pacho Velez) follows slabs of the Berlin Wall installed around the US, and was named one of the best films of 2021 in The New Yorker. John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office (with Michael Almereyda) explores the life of psychedelics pioneer John C. Lilly, and Invention is an experimental narrative about an esoteric healing device. Her films have been exhibited at MoMA, The National Gallery of Art, The Barbican, Walker Art Center, and film festivals including the Berlinale, Locarno, Rotterdam, Viennale, SXSW, New Directors/New Films, Visions Du Réel, Thessaloniki, IDFA, BAFICI, True/False, Hong Kong, and the New York Film Festival.

Moderator: Rick Ganley
Rick Ganley is the long-time host of NHPR’s Morning Edition, presenting news and stories to New Hampshire listeners daily that inform and entertain with credibility and humor. He’s also the host of Live from the Word Barn, featuring musical performances from acclaimed and up-and-coming artists.

About the “Across the Table Conversations” Series
A bold collaboration between The Music Hall, MacDowell, and NHPR, the Across the Table Conversations series showcases interdisciplinary artistry and fosters public engagement with the creative process. Each talk features an established and an emerging MacDowell Fellow in dialogue, followed by audience Q&A and an optional performance or presentation. The initial season runs from September 2025 to June 2026 with four events at The Music Hall Lounge. Additional panelists for the remaining MacDowell panel events will be announced soon.