Biography & Ethos

Jess Costa (she/her) started her film journey by making music videos with her friend at 12 years old, and to this day, strives to integrate that original sense of childlike play inside her process. With determination and a bit of magic, Jess creates escapist fantasies with the intention of making taboo subject matter more accessible and confronting the more difficult aspects of our shared realities. This theme is present in her shorts, 99￠Dreams and Once Upon a November, and in her upcoming feature film, Sleep Talking.

Jess believes in a future of film wherein every project we create focuses on us – the viewers and the makers – as humans first. She compassionately passes on skills and learnings through her community newsletter, volunteering at her alma mater’s high school drama club, and taking on mentees. She stewards the craft of filmmaking like those before her, doing so authentically by sharing both the beautiful AND the messy parts of being an artist, so that people feel less alone in an industry that can oftentimes be uncertain and chaotic.

Her work has been screened most notably in festivals like Toronto International Shorts Film Festival and Soho International Film Festival. Outside of the creative world, Jess is a plant mom with too many crafting hobbies, an activist, and a clumsy surfer.

I believe in creating the future of filmmaking that we want to see with every project we make. And for me & my work, that comes to life in three major ways: focus on us as humans first, sharing the process & sustainability.

On every set I lead, I value the entire cast & crew as humans first and filmmakers second. I want to empower everyone — from our department heads to our actors to our production assistants — to know that their voice matters. Every role & person should feel comfortable and excited to co-create inside the project; and if they don’t, they can connect with me about it.

I believe in sharing the process of filmmaking in all its beautiful, glorious mess. In an inevitably uncertain & chaotic profession, I've found that sharing fosters a sense of community among filmmakers, helping us feel a little less along in the process of bringing a dream to life on screen. To walk my talk: I write a monthly newsletter to keep my community updated on my projects, and am currently writing a book on the making of my first feature!

My goal is for every film I work on to be sustainable and environmentally conscious. There’s no earth without art and vice versa!