Penelope Jagessar Chaffer

Penelope Jagessar Chaffer is the multi award winning documentary filmmaker behind Toxic Baby™, writer and children’s environmental health advocate. She is the first black, female director to be nominated for a British Academy Award.

Born in London, of Trinidadian parentage, she started her career at the BBC, before moving to Channel 4. Her first British Academy Award Nomination came for her debut film, “Me and My Dad” which followed Chaffer back to Trinidad as she confronted her father, a former high flying magistrate who was sent to prison for bribery and corruption. The Times called it “a unique record of dignity and regret” and likened it to “something Tolstoy would have written.” She has directed several other well received pieces of work including “Shakespeare’s Stories” for the BBC, which was nominated for a BAFTA in 2006. She has won over 10 awards for her work with the BBC and Channel 4, including 5 gold national and international Promax awards and is a double BAFTA, Royal Television Society and Grierson (British Documentary Awards) nominee. A documentary auteur, her films display a singularly unique perspective on the world we live in, with The Observer newspaper calling her work “a joy to watch.”

As one of the first journalists to explore the nexus of health, environment, chemical pollution and climate change, Chaffer has testified before both the New York State and New York City environmental committees. Her work has been featured in US Vogue and she is the recipient of the prestigious “Mom On A Mission” award by Healthy Child, Healthy World, the non profit named by Vanity Fair magazine as one of Mrs. Michelle Obama’s two favorite charity organizations. Chaffer is also a former author for Toxipedia (the wiki site for toxic chemicals, environmental health and toxicology), contributes to several blogs and writes for publications around the world.

Chaffer has also worked on a suite of apps and products that navigate and negate our exposure to environmental toxicity and is a member of New Inc., the New Museum's groundbreaking tech incubator for entrepreneurs operating at the crossroads of art and technology.