In the 1960s at the height of the Mad Men era, Jule Campbell fights sexism and accusations of objectification to turn the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue into a cultural phenomenon. She empowered models like Christie Brinkley, Tyra Banks, and Kathy Ireland while launching a media empire.
In the 1960s, at the height of the Mad Men era, Jule Campbell shattered glass ceilings by transforming a struggling magazine into a media empire: the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, the most anticipated annual publication. Chic and controversial, the mastermind behind this titillating page-turner was a creative trailblazer who navigated a male-dominated workplace while simultaneously rebuffing accusations of objectification. Campbell transformed the magazine with her vision to showcase female beauty in a tasteful, artistic manner. Daughter-in-law Jill’s documentary chronicles her 32-year reign, where she championed intelligence and empowered supermodels like Christie Brinkley, Cheryl Tiegs, Roshumba Williams, and many others who recall the era and working with her. Weaving together her journey with feminism’s evolution, the film explores the changing gaze on beauty, from objectification to body positivity. Through stunning visuals and intimate interviews with a wise, nonagenarian Campbell herself, we witness a legacy that continues to inspire.
Jill is a documentary Director, Producer, and Editor who strives to capture authentic moments of humanity that highlight our shared experience. Jill began her career in the theater, writing and producing plays at La Mama, the Dublin Fringe, the Public Theater, and as a resident artist at Mabou Mines. She pivoted to documentary with the 2010 documentary "Dancing Across Borders" (Netflix, Apple TV.). Following the success of that feature, Jill has produced many feature documentaries that have screened at major festivals including Tribeca, DOC NYC, Atlanta, Art Fifa, Hamptons, Montclair, Miami, Seattle, Woodstock, and Warsaw. Jill was a producer for the documentary, "Never Too Late: The Doc Severinson Story" (Dirs. Kevin Bright, Jeff Consiglio, PBS American Masters, 2020). Jill has written and directed three feature-length documentaries including the award-winning "Mr. Chibbs" (Peacock, Kanopy, Amazon), a 2017 Village Voice Critic’s Pick, "Mr. Chibbs" traces the rise and fall of NBA legend Kenny Anderson, and "Seat 20D" (Amazon, Kanopy, Apple TV) a meditation on the healing power of self-expression that follows artist Suse Lowenstein’s journey to overcome her grief following the murder of her son. Jill received her MFA from Hunter College, where she studied documentary filmmaking. Jill's most personal documentary, "Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell's Swimsuit Issue," premiered at Woodstock Film Festival in October 2024 and screened at DOC NYC and 22 festivals around the country. It premiered theatrically at NYC's IFC Center. The film examines Jule's trailblazing life and career from a feminist perspective.
World Premiere - Woodstock Film Festival, 2024 - Nominated for Best Director of a Documentary
Montclair Film Festival, 2024
Santa Barbara Film Festival, 2025
Newport Beach Film Festival, 2024
Phoenix Film Festival, 2025
Omaha Film Festival, 2025 - Winner - Best Documentary
Doc Utah, 2025 - Winner - Enlightenment Award
Christie Brinkley
Tyra Banks
Carol Alt
Kathy Ireland
Paulina Porizkova
