Parity Pipeline

Parity Pipeline

JessZilla

Directed by Emily Sheskin

Jesselyn Silva’s Olympic dream gave her the courage to face the fight of her life.

  • ABOUT
  • BIO
  • SCREENINGS
  • AWARDS
  • PRESS
  • CREDITS

Genre

Synopsis

Fifteen-year-old Jesselyn Silva is a three-time national boxing champion with Olympic dreams, and her father Pedro is in her corner every step of the way. But at fifteen, a cancer diagnosis changes what it means for the family to fight. JESSZILLA is a powerful coming-of-age story about family, resilience, and what it truly means to be a champion.

Bio

Emily Sheskin is an award winning film and commercial director who tells stories full of optimism and resilience, without glossing over life’s challenges. She takes great pride in seeing her short films featured in The New York Times, National Geographic, The Atlantic, and even pirated on TikTok (though she’d prefer credit).


As a commercial director she strives to work with clients to tell meaningful stories that resonate with audiences of all ages. There is nothing she loves more than bringing out people’s authentic reactions, which you can see in her Disney and Niantic work. She enjoys crafting narratives around people you want to root for, even when hard topics are being discussed.


Her first feature film, JessZilla, premiered in 2023 at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival where it was in competition. It went on to play at notable festivals around the world (IDFA, DOC NYC, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival) and won awards with Slamdance, Fargo Film Festival, Rhode Island Film Festival, Ridgefield Film Festival, and the Atlanta Film Festival. It was also selected alongside 18 other features as part of the 2025 American Film Showcase. You can learn more at the film’s website.


Emily is currently diving into the world of speed puzzling, with a short Livestreams with GrandmaPuzzles and a feature, Puzzle People (in development). Even though she’s found her niche in nonfiction content, she still enjoys working with actors both commercially and independently.


She holds a BFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and is a member of New York Women in Film & Television, Film Fatales, and IFP. She is currently 1/2 of the duo behind Chicken Wing Pictures. Feel free to say hi at emily@chickenwingpictures[dot]com.

Screening History

IDFA 2023

Big Sky 2023

DOC NYC 2023

Atlanta Film Festival 2023

Heartland Film Festival 2023

Awards History

SlamDance’s Indie Awards 2024: Spotlight Documentary Award

Fargo Film Festival 2023: Best Director, Best Documentary, and Best Picture

Atlanta Film Festival Jury Award 2023: Special Mention Documentary Feature

Ridgefield Film Festival 2023: Outstanding Documentary Feature

Flickers Rhode Island Film Festival 2023: Best Cinematography

Press

"There was nothing that could have prepared me for the profound impact this film would have on me... Jesszilla was truly one of the most moving films I’ve ever watched."
Sportsish (Katie MacDonald)
"As in JessZilla, what is narrated is not an extraordinary event, but a real process of development, marked by detours, breakdowns, and moments of resistance."
Escribiendocine
"JessZilla is more than a documentary about boxing—it’s a story about courage, family, and the quiet power of perseverance."
Just for Movie Freaks

Credits

Director - Emily Sheskin

Producer - Ben Kainz

Editor - Katie Turinski

Cinematography - Paul Yee

Starring - Jesselyn Silva