BIO

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.

 

As the daughter of two paddlesports instructors, she spent her childhood outdoors, often on rivers in the Southeastern US, learning first-hand about what was happening in her surrounding environment. Pursuing her passion for the outdoors and adventure, she graduated with 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 camera operator, producer, and editor.

 

Her films often focus on the health of rivers, including the 2023 NATAS Capital Emmy-awarded film "A River Called Home," featuring the James River, and "Troubled Tributary: Maryland's Patuxent River," featured on Maryland Public Television. She has over a decade of experience in backcountry expedition work, and her passion for the planet drives her to seek out projects that will energize audiences to take action to conserve our natural resources and wildlife.