USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, Master of Social Work (MSW), Expected graduation in 2024, member of Phi Alpha Honor Society.
Johns Hopkins University, BA Film and Media Studies, minor in Visual Arts. 2021, advised by Karen Yasinsky and Margaret Murphy.
Chelsea College of Art, University of the Arts London, Exchange Student in the BA Fine Art programme, Fall 2019, studied under Ben Fitton.
Brussels Independent Film Festival. February 2024. Awarded a Tarkovski Grant.
Lassitude Zine. November 2023. Stocked at multiple UK bookshops. In the Wellcome Collection Museum catalogue (London, UK).
Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival. June 2023. Los Angeles, California. Winner of Best Student Film.
Wishbone Words Magazine. Issues 7 & 10. August 2022, February 2023.
FIN Kids Stream Festival. Hosted by Atlantic International Film Festival. Fall/Winter 2022. Multiple locations in Canada.
CineYouth Festival hosted by Chicago International Film Festival. April 2022. Chicago, Illinois/Virtual.
BFI Future Film Festival. February 2022. London, UK. Nominated for Best Documentary and Best Experimental Film.
Barry Gallery. Horizons Design + Art Exhibition. April - June 2021. Arlington, Virginia / Virtual.
JHU-MICA Student Film Festival. March 2021. Virtual.
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. November 2020. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Winner of Best College Long Narrative.
PRAYERS FOR THE PANDEMIC; PRAYERS FOR PROGRESS. Group Exhibition at Drawing Rooms. May 2020. Newark, New Jersey.
MICA Film and Animation Festival. March 2020. Baltimore, Maryland.
[REDACTED TITLE]*. Group Exhibition at Chelsea College of Art. December 2019. London, UK.
Lux et Lex Film Festival. April 2019. Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Zeniada Magazine. Fall 2019 Issue. Published in Baltimore, Maryland.
Founder & Festival Director of RestFest Film Festival. 2023 - Present.
MSW Intern Case Manager at Jewish Family Service. 2024.
Knitwear designer, creator, & online group facilitator at Bec’s Knits. 2021 - Present.
Producing Intern at Mother & Daughter Entertainment. 2020 - 2021.
Freelance Production Designer. Independent short films, series pilot, & commercial. 2018-2020. NYC, NY and Baltimore, MD.
2024 Tarkovski Grant. Awarded by Brussels Independent Film Festival.
2023 Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival. Winner of Best Student Film. Awarded for their film How to Care for Strangers.
2022 BFI Future Film Festival. Nominated for Best Documentary and Best Experimental Film. Nominated for their film Carry me in.
2021 Eugene Leake Award. Awarded by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Visual Arts for outstanding achievement in the arts and arts community.
2020 Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. Winner of Best College Long Narrative. Awarded for their film How to Care for Strangers.
2020-2021 Studio North Short Film Grant.
2020 John Koren Award for Holocaust Research and Education.
2018 Mellon Arts and Innovation Grant.
Changing the Frame Podcast. Podcast interview about their experience as a non-binary filmmaker and festival director. Episode titled: “Bec Penner: Carry me in.” December 2023.
The New Current. UK arts publication interview about their film, Carry me in at BFI Future Film Festival. February 2022.
Johns Hopkins University, Film and Media Studies News, “CARRY ME IN by Rebecca Penner (FMS ‘21) Chosen for BFI Future Film Festival 2022, Nominated for Best Documentary and Best Experimental Film.” February 2022.
Johns Hopkins University Newsletter. “Hopkins student and alum's "How To Care For Strangers" wins best in category at FLiFF.” February 2021.
LIMINAL LAB. CripLit4Spoonies II: Writing Chronic Illness and Disability taught by Ashna Ali. 2022.
Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Visiting Student, Painting and Illustration Departments, Fall 2018.
New York University (NYU), Summer Visiting Student, Visual Arts Department, Summer 2018.