Filmmakers

Jerald B. Harkness is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and the president and CEO of Studio Auteur, a production company specializing in broadcast documentaries. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Harkness studied sociology at Indiana University, receiving his B.A. and a certificate in 1991. His documentary career began while he was a student, when he started filming step shows performed by Black fraternities on the Indiana University campus.

That work developed into his first documentary, Steppin’ (1992), which explores the African American tradition of fraternity and sorority stepping, its roots in African dance, military marching, and contemporary music, and its importance on college campuses. Harkness produced and directed the film, which won a Gold Apple Award at the National Educational Film and Video Festival and the People's Choice Award at the Pan African Film Festival. The film is now streaming on Folkstreams.

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Harkness has produced and directed documentaries for ESPN, PBS, CBS Sports Network, VH1, A&E, Paramount Television, and other outlets. His later films include Facing the Façade, The Game of Change, The Bright Path: The Johnny Bright Story, and When Everyone Swims. In 2023, he donated master tapes and raw footage from many of his productions to Indiana University's Black Film Center & Archive.