About Me

Hey there! I’m Julia Hess (She/Her), a Chinese-born, Philly-grown bi-coastal Director and Producer. I split my time between Los Angeles and the Big Apple working on various projects throughout the year, while ofcourse finding the time to return to my roots for a good Philly cheesesteak.

I’m passionate about telling diverse and authentic stories through documentaries, scripted content, digital content, and commercial advertising.

Growing up as a Chinese-adoptee in America, I struggled to find TV shows and films with characters that looked like me or any person of color. As a filmmaker, I’m excited to be in the position to bringing more diversity to in front of and behind the camera.

Outside of my professional career, I am the Head of Strategy for The Reel Champions. TRC is an organization focused on supporting women and non-binary filmmakers achieve the recognition and jobs they deserve. In conjunction, TRC hosts a mentorship program that aims to mentor future decision-makers to enable positive change in the hiring, depiction, and representation of minority genders and people of color.

On this site you can view short films and what i’m working on. Please feel free to reach out about any collaborations.