Jessica Beshir

Jessica Beshir

Place of Birth
Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Known For
Directing

Details

Place of Birth
Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Known For
Directing

Biography

Jessica Beshir is a Mexican-Ethiopian documentary filmmaker, producer and cinematographer based in Brooklyn. She graduated in Film Studies and Literature at UCLA, after which she made several internationally acclaimed short films. The short documentary He Who Dances on Wood (2016) was selected for Hot Docs and won Best International Documentary Short at Edmonton Film Festival and the Jury Award at Anchorage International Film Festival. Hairat (2017) premiered at Sundance, was screened at IFFR and IDFA and won several awards at various other festivals. Beshir is a recipient of the Sundance Documentary Film Program, Jerome Foundation and NYFA Fellowships. Faya Dayi (2021) is her feature debut.

Jessica Beshir's LGBTQ+ Titles

200 American
200 American
Model

Acting (8)

2015
Memory of a Time Twice Lived as Narration (voice)
2007
The DL Chronicles as Sarah Thomas (1 episode)
2006
Distortion as Gerry
2004
Journey to Lasta as Selam
2004
107 Street as Andrea
2004
Until the Night as Partygoer
2003
200 American as Model
1999
Man Woman Film as Ali's girl

Directing (7)

2023
Ladan • Director
• Director
2021
Faya Dayi • Director
• Director
2018
Kings • Director
• Director
2017
The Gift • Director (3 episodes)
• Director (3 episodes)
2017
Heroin • Director
• Director
2017
Hairat • Director
• Director
2016
He Who Dances on Wood • Director
• Director

Production (6)

2021
IT IS A SOUL: A Portrait of Hailu Mergia • Producer
• Producer
2021
Faya Dayi
• Executive Producer
• Producer
2017
Heroin • Producer
• Producer
2017
Hairat • Producer
• Producer
2016
He Who Dances on Wood • Producer
• Producer

Creator (1)

2017
The Gift • Creator
• Creator

Writing (2)

2021
Faya Dayi • Writer
• Writer
2017
Heroin • Screenplay
• Screenplay

Sound (2)

2021
Faya Dayi • Sound Recordist
• Sound Recordist
2017
Hairat • Sound Recordist
• Sound Recordist

Camera (4)

2021
Faya Dayi • Director of Photography
• Director of Photography
2017
Heroin • Additional Photography
• Additional Photography
2017
Hairat • Director of Photography
• Director of Photography
2016
He Who Dances on Wood • Director of Photography
• Director of Photography

Crew (2)

2021
IT IS A SOUL: A Portrait of Hailu Mergia • Translator
• Translator
2014
Zemene • Translator
• Translator