BIO
About Me
Jess Wiegandt is an award-winning filmmaker who has worked on projects involving ecological conservation, endangered species awareness, and environmental justice. Utilizing her background in experiential education, she aims to engage new audiences to tell stories of impact that encourage others to explore the world around them.
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Her films often focus on the health of waterways, including the 2023 NATAS Capital Emmy-awarded film "A River Called Home," and "Troubled Tributary: Maryland's Patuxent River," featured on PBS. As the daughter of two paddlesports instructors, Jess spent her childhood on rivers and developed a passion for the planet that drives her to seek out projects that will energize viewers to conserve our natural resources and wildlife.
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Jess has her Wilderness First Responder and brings extensive backcountry expedition knowledge to each project. She has her MFA in Film and Media Arts with a concentration in Environmental, Wildlife, and Social Impact Filmmaking from American University and is now a freelance cinematographer, producer, and editor. Her showreel is available upon request.
Ongoing Work
The Grand Salmon Project
Director, Principle Cinematography, Editor
World Premiere August 30, 2024
Missoula, MT
Freelance Projects
Producer, Cinematographer, Editor
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A River Called Home
Producer, Director, Editor
Broadcast, Maryland Public TV 2024
Mentionable Work
Troubled Tributary: Maryland's Patuxent River | Maryland Public Television
Producer, Director, 2nd Cam, Editor
Available Online
Keeping Clean: Cattle and Conservation
Director, Editor
A Collaboration with MCSWCD
Additional Cinematography | Upstream, Downriver
Free Exercise: America's Story of Religious Freedom
Production Assistant (Archival Editor)