Jess Kohl is a filmmaker and photographer whose work often focuses on the fringes of society, where she seeks to amplify voices globally that have historically not been heard. After graduating from Central Saint Martins with 1st class honours, followed by an MA in Cinematography at Goldsmiths, she has directed several award winning films, including Nirvana (2018), the Grierson nominated Disciples (2021), and A Mouthful of Petrol (2022) which had it’s World Premiere at IDFA, and won Golden Frog for Best Documentary Short at CamerImage. Her work has been published in British Journal of Photography, Dazed, Another Magazine, Nowness, The Face, Vogue, i-D and many more.
Jess’ distinctive directorial voice and talent for capturing nuanced and authentic moments has led her to working on commercial projects, creating poignant campaigns for clients such as Nike, Google, and WhatsApp.
Currently, Jess is working on her first feature film, where she continues to explore the intersection of culture, religion and gender non-conformity in the south of Italy.
Commercial representation:
For commercial projects outside of these territories, & non-fiction/narrative/TV please contact me directly.
Selected awards & nominations:
A Mouthful of Petrol, 2022 –
CamerImage – Winner, Best Documentary Short
International Motor Film Awards – Winner, Best Documentary Short
IDFA – World Premiere. Nominee, Best Youth Documentary
DOC NYC – Nominee, Best Short Film + Audience Award
The Grierson Awards – Nominee, Best Documentary Short
Doc n Roll
Milan Fashion Film Festival – Best Documentary award
One World Media Awards – Best Documentary Short nominee
London Short Film Festival
BFI Flare
Ciclope
Best Director –
Milan Fashion Film Festival, 2019 + 2020.
Raindance Film Festival – Best Documentary Short nominee
Selected press:
Artist Residencies:
Education:
Moving Image BA, Central Saint Martins – 1st Class Honours
Cinematography MA, Goldsmiths University
Solo exhibitions:
2020 | ANIME SALVE at The PAN – Palazzo delle Arti, Napoli – a series of photographs made over two years in Napoli, Italy, examining gender non conformity in the city, and the regeneration of the suburb of Scampia.
2016 | Friends of the Dead at The Vaults, London – portraits capturing the individuals who work and volunteer in London’s most famous cemeteries.