ABOUT ME

Hi, I’m Jesse and I am a screenwriter, director, and teacher of filmmaking.

After spending my first decade of adult life alternately working at a casino, acting on stage, attending UCLA, and bumming around the world from Phnom Penh to Ouagadougou, I earned my MFA from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. I went on to write and direct the award-winning feature film THANE OF EAST COUNTY, which screened at film fests across the USA and is now streaming on Amazon Prime. My short films include a recent reimagining of H.P. Lovecraft’s story THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZANN and the ultra-short GUN FINGERS, both of which were official selections at numerous film festivals.

My feature screenplays, some in collaboration Evan Muehlbauer, have been recognized by top contests including Script Pipeline, Tracking Board Launch Pad, Slamdance, and the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Contest.

I am an Assosciate Professor of Dramatic Arts and Digital Storytelling at San Diego Mesa College, where I help the next generation of storytellers develop their craft.