Washingtonian Favorites: Jon Gann

Photograph courtesy of Jon Gann.

Name: Jon Gann

Age: 42

Occupation:Filmmaker, Festival Organizer, Graphic Designer, Bon Vivant

Hometown: Washington DC

Must have item at all times: Sad, but my iPod.

Signature drink: Makers Mark on the rocks.

Finish the sentence: When not working, you can find me…
…Out with friends or my dog, Pilot.

Washingtonian(s) you admire?
Anyone who runs a non-profit. What work!

Favorite neighborhood in the city?
Penn Quarter/Chinatown.

Washington insider tip(s)?
It’s really about who you are, not who you know.

Finish the sentence: Thinking about the metro makes me…
…Wonder what inconvenience I am going to be thrown today.

Favorite museum:
National Building Museum (where I docent).

What would you change about DC?
Easier-to-navigate bureaucracy and bigger thinking.

As you answer these questions, what websites are open in your browser?
Macintouch.com (I am a MacNerd) and DCShorts.com

What’s your daily routine like?
Wake, espresso, work, lunch, work, nap, work, dinner/drinks/date/friends, tv and play with dog, sleep, repeat.

What side(s) of DC would you want to see depicted more on film?
DC’s arts scenes — music, film, fashion, visual arts. This is not only a government/spy town.

Top five directors and why?
Billy Wilder for the classics.
Charlie Chaplin for the genius.
Steven Spielberg for the drama.
Pedro Almodovar for the sensitivity.
Martin Scorsese for the guts.

Are you currently working on any films yourself?
I am overseeing a community documentary titled “I Shaved for This?! The State of Dating in America.” I am coordinating eight other documentarians in creating nine small films about different aspects of the dating scene and rules. The feature-length film will premiere this fall.

What is the first film you remember seeing?
Freaky Friday with my grandmother and siblings at Wheaton Plaza — before it was enclosed. Damn, I AM old.

Fore more information on the DC Shorts Film Festival, which kicks off next Thursday, click here. And don't forget to check back in next week for a new Washingtonian Favorites!

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