Episode 15: From Child Actor to Award Winning Indie Filmmaker (With Jess McLeod)

I loved chatting with Jess for this episode of the Booked and Busy Filmmaking Podcast!  We talk about their journey from child actor to indie filmmaker, navigating identity in the film industry, the importance of collaboration, and the creative process behind Jess's projects.Jess shares insights on the importance of specificity in writing to enhance the final product, the indie film landscape, and their aspirations for future projects, emphasizing the need for authentic representation in storytelling.Jess McLeod is a trans non-binary filmmaker and actor. Their first short, 'DTF?', premiered at the Oscar-qualifying 2024 Out On Film festival, and has picked up several awards thus far, including Best Director (2024 Chilliwack Independent Film Festival), and Best Screenwriting (2025 Leo Awards). Their next short film, 'She’s Nonbinary', will have its festival premiere early 2026. Upcoming acting credits include Bob Odenkirk’s new action film 'Normal', and AMC’s new series 'The Audacity', starring Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen.