BIOGRAPHY
JESS O'BRIEN
Jess O’Brien is a 16-year old writer, actor and director. She made her screen debut in the short PQA film ‘Urban Legends’ in 2013. The film was awarded at the Empire Film Festival.
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In 2014, she starred in ‘Flawless’ a short film by filmmaker Keith Allott that screened across the world at twenty-four film festivals including Aesthetica. By 2015, she had written and directed her first two shorts ‘Coping’ and ‘Hinterland’ featuring at eleven film festivals and starred in the PQA short film ‘Revol’.
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In the last two years of filmmaking Jess has staged three red carpet premieres, been named Into Film’s ‘One to Watch’ 2016 and won the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire’s Young Artist and Young Person of the Year 2016. She was named the best U17 Junior Filmmaker at the Fastnet Film Festival 2016, was selected again for the PQA Empire Film Festival as part of the film ‘Scribble’ and featured in short film ‘Dolls’ at twenty-four festivals while being nominated as Best Young Actor at the Birmingham Film Festival and Best Actor at the Marietta International Film Festival for her role in the film.
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Her latest film ‘Girl A’ has currently been selected for twenty-two festivals and screenings including the BAFTA Qualifying London Short Film Festival, Shorts On Tap, CineYouth in Chicago, KinoFilm Manchester and FilmBath Festival and was awarded an ‘Honourable Mention’ at the New Renaissance Film Festival 2017 and The Short Cinema Film Festival, won best drama at the Sydney World Film Festival, 'Best New Director' at the Winchester Short Film Festival and 'Best Director' at the Festival de Cinema Escolar de Alvorada. She has also recently been invited to talk about 'Girl A' at the London Screenwriters Festival.
FILMOGRAPHY
STRIPPED
March 2018
Featuring Megan Manley, Kieran Clarridge and Betty Auty, this film looks at the social and legal consequences of 'sexting' between young people. The film has been produced as part of the Safen3t film project. I wrote and directed the film over five days.
GIRL A
April 2017
Starring Betty Auty, Kate Blower, Sophie Marsh & Jemimah Frost this film looks at the causes of violent behaviour in young people. The film is currently on the festival circuit and has been chosen for 22 festivals inc. the London Short Film Festival, KinoFilm and FilmBath.
TIME
November 2017
A documentary produced for the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust looking at training young people CPR as part of the national curriculum. The trust funded me to buy a camera. I made this film to help get the message of the trust to key decision makers in education & health.
SKY RIDE
July 2014
In 2014, I spent the day filming the Leicester Sky Ride around the city centre. The film was comissioned by the transport department at Leicester City Council and was used to showcase the ride and to encourage others to take part at future events. The film has been screened across the UK.
HINTERLAND
November 2016
My second film features Jacqueline Ardron & Tyler Dunnan. I created the film based around a game where people become responsible for the decisions they make. The film was selected for 4 film festivals including The Short Cinema in Leicester and Beeston Film Festival.
COPING
May 2015
My first film was produced in 2015. I wrote, directed & starred. The film looks at the effect of loss on a young person. The film was selected for 7 film festivals & won the Best Junior Filmmaker Award at the Fastnet Film Festival & gained me the Young Artist & Person of the Year 2016 at the Lord Lieutenant's Awards.
FILM FESTIVAL
2017
BEST NEW DIRECTOR
GIRL A
WINCHESTER SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
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FILM FESTIVAL
2017
BEST DIRECTOR
GIRL A
FESTIVAL DE CINEMA ESCOLAR DE ALVORADA
FILM FESTIVAL
2017
HONOURABLE MENTION
GIRL A
NEW RENAISSANCE FILM FESTIVAL