Hot Shots 2026: Jessica Burgess

When Jessica Burgess boarded Sandpaper Films’ Netflix documentary feature A Deadly American Marriage as producer, the project was still in pre-production. Such was her commitment to the film – navigating access, building trust and maintaining relationships with contributors – that director Jenny Popplewell soon realised she was deserving of a bigger credit.

“Jess approached the subject with diligence, professionalism and empathy, and her work helped capture the depth and nuance the film needed,” Popplewell reflects.

“It quickly became clear that Jess’s editorial instincts, dedication, and creative vision warranted recognition beyond the remit of a producing role. I was delighted to welcome her into a directing partnership, where she brought immense value and clarity to our storytelling process.”

Jessica directed two key contributor interviews and led a solo visuals shoot on the film, which instantly became a top ten Netflix show and earned an Emmy nomination.

Jessica started as a development researcher on the first series of Sky Studios’ Netflix returner I Am a Killer and secured her first directing credit on series five of Arrow Media’s American Monster for Discovery ID. After working as a producer/edit director on five episodes of Raw’s TNT/HBO Max series Rich and Shameless, she retuned as producer/director on two editions of its second series.

She’s since scored a development producer credit on a Netflix feature doc – another Raw project – and an edit director role on a three-part Netflix series from Sandpaper Films.

Jessica is also producer/director on a Dorothy Street Pictures film that is part of a Vanity Fair-backed anthology series for Discovery ID and HBO Max.

“Jess is a thoughtful, talented filmmaker with both editorial sharpness and emotional intelligence,” concludes Popplewell.

“She has great integrity and deep respect for contributors’ experiences and remains grounded in the emotional truth.”