Jennifer Holness was born in 1969 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. She moved to Toronto, Canada at a young age with her mother. She went to York University, where she studied political science. This is also where she met her husband David "Sudz" Sutherland. The two got married after finishing their degrees at York University and have three daughters.

Holness has mentioned that growing up in a housing project helped shape her view of the city and how she crafts her work. The aim of her work has been a steady understanding of the stories that most people do not want to direct; touching subjects about gun violence, homophobia and deportation of immigrants in the city of Toronto. Holness' professional career started with a documentary in which she co-directed, Speakers for the Dead (2000) with her husband, Sutherland. Following the success from Love, Sex And Eating the Bones, Holness produced and co-wrote a miniseries for CBC titled Guns (2009). She then went on to produce a documentary, Badge of Pride (2010) which looked at the struggles that gay police officers faced in the force. Holness' went on to produce and co-write another feature film titled Home Again (2012) in which follows Jamaican deportees from Canada. Her largest work to date with husband David Sutherland with a production value of over 4 million.^[2] She is currently producing and co-writing a TV crime drama, Shoot the Messenger (2016)

Best Documentary Film (Speakers for the Dead), Black Film and Video Network's Reel Black Award (2000)

HBO Award for Best Short Film (My Father’s Hands), Acapulco International Black Film Festival (2000)

Best Drama (My Father’s Hands), Yorkton Film Festival, Golden Sheaf Award (2000)

Best Director (My Father’s Hands), Yorkton Film Festival, Golden Sheaf Award (2000)

Prix Chantal Lapaire (Speakers for the Dead), Vues D’Afrique Film Festival (2001)

Best Canadian First Feature Film (Love, Sex, and Eating the Bones), Toronto International Film Festival (2003)

Audience Award, Best Feature Film (Love, Sex, and Eating the Bones), American Black Film Festival (2004)

Best Feature (Love, Sex, and Eating the Bones), Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival (2004)

Audience Award (Love, Sex, and Eating the Bones), Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival (2004)

Best Canadian Feature (Love, Sex, and Eating the Bones), Victoria Independent Film + Video Festival (2004)

Best Writing (Guns), Canadian Gemini Award (2010)

Excellence in Media – Video (Brick by Brick: The Story of the Evergreen Brickworks), Heritage Toronto Awards (2011)

Home Again (2012)

Brick by Brick (2011)

She's The Mayor (2011)

Badge of Pride (2010)

Guns (2008)

Love, Sex and Eating the Bones (2003)

Yin yin/Jade Love (2002)

Bagatelle (2001)

My Father's Hands (1999)

Vicious Cycles (1999)

Roadkill Travelogue (1999)

I'm a Big Girl (1998)

Win/Loss/Tie (1998)