Docufessional Films
biography
​
" I began to think that if one life, somehow made into art, were recorded - not all of it, but as the testimony on an old tombstone - wouldn’t that be worth something? ” - Anne Sexton​​
​
​
" I prefer the people who eat off the bare earth the delirium from which they
were born. " - Antonin Artaud
​
Joey Huertas (aka Jane Public) is inspired by the diarist aesthetics of confessional poets and works alone - handwriting, shooting, editing and scoring all of his work. The terrains of his films and performances are private, but with a documentary impulse at work. His works take many forms, including stories arranged by peculiar/imagined biographies of fictitious persons, subconscious diaries, collections of found/anonymous photographs, found sound recordings, drawings and text compositions. Critics have cited his work as representing a new form of transgressive fictional biography. Joey describes his work as psychological autopsies of clinical fiction.
Read
More
Joey’s films and live performances have been exhibited at venues and museums all around the world. Joey has created a prolific and acclaimed body of moving image work including shorts, installations, soundscapes and film-related performances. He was the recipient of the Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation Award, the Willard Van Dyke Award for Non-Fiction Film, the Eastman Kodak Film Award, the Purchase Film Conservatory's Dean's Award, and awarded Best Experimental Film at many international film festivals. He is often invited to present and discuss his work in person.
​
Joey holds a Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree (Cum Laude) from the State University of New York at Purchase's Conservatory of Theatre Arts and Film, and is a clinical 'forensic' social worker for over 26 years with a Master's of Social Work (LCMSW) degree from Hunter College School of Social Work. Joey began his career as an Art Therapist in hospitals and correctional facilities across the U.S. He served as a college prep, creative writing and screenwriting instructor at Rikers Island, NYC Department of Corrections (Inmate Education Program) and the GMDC George Motchan Detention Center. Joey specializes in prisoner reentry, forensic psychology, root cause analysis, psychological autopsy (PA), and works as a forensic behavioral research consultant for films and true crime books. His non-fiction film studies have received stipend support from The Research Foundation of State University of New York. In 2013 he interviewed Cuban dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez for the State Department. He has testified for the 'Compassionate Release' of dying female inmates before the Board of Parole in Sacramento, California. He has exhibited at, MoMA Museum of Modern Art, PS1 MoMA, CANNES France, CCA Centre for Contemporary Art in Glasgow Scotland, MASS MoCA, Alma Enterprises London, Participant, Inc, Boston Underground Film Festival, TheatreLab (residency), Syracuse International Film Festival and the Ann Arbor Film Festival among others. His work has appeared in a variety of publications including Dazed & Confused Magazine UK, Art Forum, Millennium Film Journal, Cineaste, and has been featured on NPR, Sweden Radio, BBC UK, and PBS broadcasts. He has written and published many short stories, Punk Rock Tisha Girl, Homewrecka, Lines of Resolution and The Colors of Spring. In 2022, Joey was awarded and recognized by Corrections-Based Operations (CBO) for his dedication, work and commitment to Prisoner Reentry and Criminal Justice Initiatives service in the community.
The artist writes, directs, performs, blogs, shark cage dives, and lives and works in the United States and Europe. Joey is currently working on his first feature-length film commissioned by the United Kingdom. He served as Executive Director of the Millennium Film Workshop from 2016 to 2022 and created his own DIY underground avant-garde screening/reading series micro-cinema in New York City called, Hijack!. Joey currently serves as Co-Director of the annual 'Pixelvision' international film festival PXLTHIS, together with Frank Zappa archivist, artist Gerry Fialka.
​
The Museum of Modern Art , MoMA exhibited Joey's 16mm film work (2022). The Ann Arbor Film Festival (2023) presented Joey's experimental films screened at the legendary Michigan State theatre. The CineSalon Experimental Film Festival presented Joey's VHS/Hi8 experimental films in 2024, and Joey will be their featured artist with a solo show- film & sound art exhibition- 2025 in Cork CIty, Ireland. Joey's career in music was featured in Lamb of God's guitarist Mark Morton's (2024) memoir book, 'Desolation: a Heavy Metal Memoir' . Joey will be featured in The NY Times bestselling author Cathy Scott's upcoming biography book (2025) on the life of true crime best selling author Ann Rule. Joey is also interviewed and featured in an upcoming international documentary (2025) for GoGoGo Films and French-German public TV channel ARTE about the impact of the death penalty on the families and loved ones of executed violent offenders.
Read
More
MISSION STATEMENT
Joey's Docu-fessional films are what the bullhorn was in 1968 for the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) at Columbia University. Film art cannot change the world, but it can affect change. Inspired by peaceful protest, Theatre of the Absurd and Antonin Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty, Joey has directed street theatre and Expanded Cinema performances on the execution of Lena Baker, collaborating with performance artist, Connie Winston bringing a posthumous voice to many dismissed injustices (the Lena Baker execution, police brutality, political prisoner prosecutions).
​
Joey began his career as a volunteer videographer and journalist for Public Access Community Television (Channel 38, James City County Communications) and covered local news stories until falling in love with the fine art of cinema. After film school Joey worked as an ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) and Foley artist at the legendary SOUND ONE STUDIOS in NYC, assisting artists Robert DeNiro, Brian DePalma, Griffin Dunne and Spike Lee on their films' post-production (i.e. Snake Eyes, Ronin, Girl 6) until the sound studios closing in 2012. The commercial film industry, and many film festivals, promote the buying and selling of film as a product. Docu-fessional films are not opposed to the commercial industry, but stand for something else.
​
"I became involved with Restorative Justice and human rights because much of my artistic, professional and academic life has been concerned with the healing process. Personal involvement in issues concerning human injustice, violent crime victims, and global politics are so fundamentally important, and so embattled, that I decided that was where I should give the time I had for work. I have testified before the US Senate for the compassionate release of dying female inmates in prisons and have been an active member of Amnesty International for over 15 years. I also work closely with various national sectors for victim's rights, restorative justice, missing persons and the rights of incarcerated American women artists."
