Jessica Beshir

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.

Directed

1. Faya Dayi (2021) — Director
2. Hairat (2017) — Director
3. He Who Dances on Wood (2016) — Director
4. Ladan (2023) — Director
5. Heroin (2017) — Director
6. Kings (2018) — Director
7. The Gift (2017) — Director

Also appeared in

1. 200 American (2003) — Model
2. Until the Night (2004) — Partygoer
3. The DL Chronicles (2007) — Sarah Thomas
4. Distortion (2006) — Gerry
5. Man Woman Film (1999) — Ali's girl
6. Journey to Lasta (2004) — Selam
7. 107 Street (2004) — Andrea
8. Memory of a Time Twice Lived (2015) — Narration (voice)