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JESSZILLA: Screening Saturday May 20, 4:30pm at Keeler Tavern Museum 152 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT 06896 as part of RIFF2023, 8th Annual Ridgefield Independent Film Festival
SUMMARY:
Jesselyn Silva, a 15-year-old girl from New Jersey, is a 3-time national boxing champion. She has a goal to become the best in boxing. Jess’s father, Pedro, explains what it’s like to support her daughter’s dreams in an extremely dangerous sport. However, when she receives an unthinkable diagnosis, her relationship with fighting takes on a whole new meaning.
EMILY SHESKIN – DIRECTOR
Emily Sheskin is a director and editor who has worked on award-winning documentaries, television specials and advertising campaigns. Her work has been featured in numerous publications such as (but not limited to) The New York Times, National Geographic and The Atlantic. She holds a BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is a member of New York Women in Film & Television and IFP.
WEBSITE:
Background:
The Ridgefield Independent Film Festival was founded in 2015 by local playwright and director Joanne Hudson and premiered its first iteration in May of 2016 at ten venues throughout Ridgefield, CT; screening of 72 films from 26 countries. The festival has since attracted celebrities such as Allison Williams, James Naughton, Barry Levinson and Paul Dano, as well as talented local and international filmmakers. This highly curated festival attempts to bring together film, filmmakers, and the community in Ridgefield Connecticut to share all it has to offer in the same independent spirit it began with: in hopes of making the world a more compassionate place by sharing stories through cinema.
