Jessica Sanders(I)
- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Jessica Sanders is an Oscar-nominated, Sundance, SXSW and Cannes-Award winning director and producer of narrative and documentary films and commercials.
Jessica's improvised comedy "I Want to Feel Fun" starring Simon Rex (Red Rocket), Esther Povitsky (Drugstore June), Avi Rothman (Palm Royale) and Vivian Bang (White Rabbit) is having it's World Premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival and was one of 13,000 short films chosen.
Jessica's martial arts action comedy short film "The Cocktail Party" exploring female empowerment, premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and won numerous international festival awards. The action packed, playful film tells the story of a cocktail party that turns into an unexpected martial arts action film.
Jessica directed and produced the short film "End of the Line" which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. The visual effects heavy film is based on a short story by acclaimed writer Aimee Bender, exploring themes of power and its abuse. Staring Brett Gelman (Stranger Things) and Simon Helberg (Big Bang Theory), for Refinery29 and TNT's Anthology Shatterbox film series. Jessica directed and executive produced the TV pilot "Embrace" which won the 2020 SXSW Film Festival Grand Jury Prize and premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was executive produced by Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali.
Jessica is set to direct and produce "Cotton" a feature film based on the New York Times best-seller and a story from her Sundance-winning documentary "After Innocence," a game-changer in criminal justice reform. Jessica was awarded the Sloan Science Foundation Award at the Tribeca Film Festival, the Discovery Award at Los Cabos Film Festival and the Ford Producers Award at the Sun Valley Film Festival to develop the film. "Cotton" tells the riveting true story of Ronald Cotton, a young black man wrongfully identified in a lineup as a rapist and sent to life in prison. Ronald fights for justice to clear his name, solves his case and finds an unlikely friendship with Jennifer Thompson, the young white woman who accused him.
Jessica's first feature documentary film "After Innocence" which she directed, wrote and produced tells the moving story of innocent men wrongfully imprisoned for decades and exonerated after DNA testing proved their innocence. The film won the Sundance Special Jury Prize and numerous festival awards before being released theatrically by New Yorker Films and premiering on Showtime. It was shortlisted for the Academy Awards and became a game changer in criminal justice reform, bringing awareness and change for the wrongfully convicted.
Jessica was nominated for an Academy Award for "Sing!" a documentary short about the Los Angeles Children's Choir. Jessica also directed "March of the Living," a feature documentary about the last generation of Holocaust survivors returning to the sites of the Holocaust in Poland with teenagers from Sao Paulo, Berlin and Los Angeles.
Jessica's commercial career was launched when Steve Jobs handpicked her to direct Apple's iPad launch campaign. Jessica won the coveted Cannes Young Director's Award for her "Sony Make.Believe" film which also won an AICP award. As an award-winning commercial director, Jessica has directed campaigns for Apple, Amazon, Samsung, Honda, Toyota, Procter & Gamble and many others.
Jessica studied film at Wesleyan University under Professor Jeanine Basinger and graduated cum laude in English and Film Studies. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the DGA and is an advisor on the Commercial Director's Diversity Program.
Jessica's improvised comedy "I Want to Feel Fun" starring Simon Rex (Red Rocket), Esther Povitsky (Drugstore June), Avi Rothman (Palm Royale) and Vivian Bang (White Rabbit) is having it's World Premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival and was one of 13,000 short films chosen.
Jessica's martial arts action comedy short film "The Cocktail Party" exploring female empowerment, premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and won numerous international festival awards. The action packed, playful film tells the story of a cocktail party that turns into an unexpected martial arts action film.
Jessica directed and produced the short film "End of the Line" which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. The visual effects heavy film is based on a short story by acclaimed writer Aimee Bender, exploring themes of power and its abuse. Staring Brett Gelman (Stranger Things) and Simon Helberg (Big Bang Theory), for Refinery29 and TNT's Anthology Shatterbox film series. Jessica directed and executive produced the TV pilot "Embrace" which won the 2020 SXSW Film Festival Grand Jury Prize and premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was executive produced by Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali.
Jessica is set to direct and produce "Cotton" a feature film based on the New York Times best-seller and a story from her Sundance-winning documentary "After Innocence," a game-changer in criminal justice reform. Jessica was awarded the Sloan Science Foundation Award at the Tribeca Film Festival, the Discovery Award at Los Cabos Film Festival and the Ford Producers Award at the Sun Valley Film Festival to develop the film. "Cotton" tells the riveting true story of Ronald Cotton, a young black man wrongfully identified in a lineup as a rapist and sent to life in prison. Ronald fights for justice to clear his name, solves his case and finds an unlikely friendship with Jennifer Thompson, the young white woman who accused him.
Jessica's first feature documentary film "After Innocence" which she directed, wrote and produced tells the moving story of innocent men wrongfully imprisoned for decades and exonerated after DNA testing proved their innocence. The film won the Sundance Special Jury Prize and numerous festival awards before being released theatrically by New Yorker Films and premiering on Showtime. It was shortlisted for the Academy Awards and became a game changer in criminal justice reform, bringing awareness and change for the wrongfully convicted.
Jessica was nominated for an Academy Award for "Sing!" a documentary short about the Los Angeles Children's Choir. Jessica also directed "March of the Living," a feature documentary about the last generation of Holocaust survivors returning to the sites of the Holocaust in Poland with teenagers from Sao Paulo, Berlin and Los Angeles.
Jessica's commercial career was launched when Steve Jobs handpicked her to direct Apple's iPad launch campaign. Jessica won the coveted Cannes Young Director's Award for her "Sony Make.Believe" film which also won an AICP award. As an award-winning commercial director, Jessica has directed campaigns for Apple, Amazon, Samsung, Honda, Toyota, Procter & Gamble and many others.
Jessica studied film at Wesleyan University under Professor Jeanine Basinger and graduated cum laude in English and Film Studies. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the DGA and is an advisor on the Commercial Director's Diversity Program.
