Jessica Redish is an award-winning director, writer & choreographer currently in USC’s School of Cinematic Arts MFA Program. She has been referred to as a “rising star” because of her accomplishments with her award-winning short films and music videos. Her body of work ranges from contributing choreography to The Smashing Pumpkins' International Tour to her short films “The Last Croissant” and “AIRWAY” winning Best Director and Best Comedy awards.
Her most recent success is her newest film, “Exit, Pursued by a Bear,” a short movie musical which she wrote, directed, choreographed, and co-wrote lyrics with composer Michael Mahler. The film received placement in the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts and Raindance Film Festivals as one of six winners in the 2022 Stage 32 Short Film Contest.
She recently completed principal photography on her short film “cat.,” about a woman who signs up for a dating coaching service in search of her soulmate and ends up marrying a cat. The project is a 2022 Shore Scripts Short Film Fund Finalist, a 2023 ScreenCraft Film Fund Quarterfinalist, a Women in Media CAMERAderie Semifinalist and had the support of ARRI, Zeiss, Cinelease, Sigma, Canon, Filmcraft Studio Gear and Rosco, where she is a proud ambassador.
Jessica attributes her ability to work with actors and capture great performances because of her theatre work for which The Chicago Tribune named her production of “Merrily We Roll Along” as one of the top ten Sondheim productions in Chicago, putting her on a shortlist with Hal Prince. She is also the winner of the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Choreography for “Silence! The Musical!” a musical parody of “The Silence of the Lambs.”
Inspired by the work of Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Alma Har’el, Bob Fosse as well as Tony Winner David Cromer and Tony Nominee Michael Greif, both of whom she has had the honor to work with Off-Broadway, Jessica strives for detail, honesty, compulsion and her work has been described as "hilariously twisted” by the Hollywood Digest. Her musical theatre background at Northwestern University has helped contribute to the movie musical director she is.
Jessica currently resides in Los Angeles where she tends to her “Golden Girls” Chia Pet.
"cat." Budget: $0 - $100K | Romance ⋄ Comedy A woman signs up for a dating coaching service in search of her soulmate and ends up marrying a cat.
"Free Britney" Budget: $1M - $5M | Comedy ⋄ Adventure A woman goes on a quest to free Britney Spears only to realize she needs to free herself.
"Podcast" Budget: $30M+ | Comedy A neurotic workaholic podiatrist must work with his estranged daughter, a failed marketing executive, in order to save his business.
"cat"
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Film (short)
by Rooster on a Wire Films, LLC (Comedy)
Director/Writer A woman signs up for a dating coaching service in search of her soulmate and ends up marrying a cat.
Quarterfinalist, Screen Craft Film Fund
(2023)
Winner, Stage 32 Short Film Contest - "Exit, Pursued by a Bear"
(2022)
Winner, Best Comedy, Los Angeles Comedy Film Festival - "The Last Croissant"
(2022)
Winner, Best Comedy, LA Under the Stars Film Festival - "AIRWAY"
(2022)
Finalist, Shore Scripts Short Film Fund
(2022)
Winner, Best Micro Comedy Film, Women's Comedy Festival in Atlanta - "AIRWAY"
(2021)
Winner, Best Music Video, Apex Short Film & Music Video Festival - "Brighter Days"
(2021)
Winner, Best Director, Atlanta Comedy Film Festival - "The Last Croissant"
(2020)