We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful William Jacobs. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with William below.
William, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Meaningful projects begin in small communities. Remote from the din of the mainstream film industry and amidst the serene sea of Midwest cornfields, I have embarked upon the creation of my debut feature film, Poet in a Modern World—entirely shot on 16 mm film and solely comprised of local talent. Some might consider it sheer lunacy, others dogged passion. The independent low-budget production, now a few years in-the-making, has received funds through online fundraising, with most of the money necessary coming directly out of my own pocket. The story follows an art instructor’s yearning for the past and his pupil’s disquietude for the future as they wander through modernity’s spiritual desert.
Reacting to the political preoccupations of Hollywood, I had decided to sow the seeds to an alternative cinema in the heartland of the United States with hopes of conveying the culture I have come from—capturing its deciduous surroundings and spiritual significance. The mission of my production company, Mourning Dove Films, is to craft films founded on faith and fellowship, not fame and fortune. Poet in a Modern World is its first effort. The asceticism required by the 16 mm film format along with the limitations of a backyard film production engender an atmosphere of gratitude and enjoin an entire cast and crew of volunteers to give their utmost.
William, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a self-taught filmmaker. My initial filmmaking experience transpired at age seven in the musty basement of my family home where I created brief stop-motion animation films with Legos and toy figurines. After working on dozens of short films in the span of fifteen years, I then turned to the tradition of cinema by embracing the 16mm film format. The oeuvres of Andrei Tarkovsky and Robert Bresson inspired me to establish my independent production company, Mourning Dove Films, whose chief ambition is to bring forth cinema which edifies rather than entertains.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I refuse to reduce cinema to pornography and propaganda and desire to build a more beautiful cinema which raises hope, offers consolation, and gives admonishment in an age of ugliness and nihilism.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
I believe a society which gives precedence to merit rather than politics will never fail to render great works of art. Otherwise, the moment a society dispenses with aesthetic criteria to measure art only by avarice or ideology is when artists and the dormant masterpieces they are capable of bringing into being are put to death. 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mourningdovefilms.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mourningdovefilms/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mourningdovefilms
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamjacobsfilm/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9W1HGq6tQFVWJIzjSYmeNA
- Other: https://vimeo.com/mourningdovefilms
Image Credits
William Jacobs, John Voss, Beck Potucek, Wes Brooks