Jessica Barr
MITZVAH
As a 13-year-old girl prepares for her Bat Mitzvah while her mother battles cancer, a night with two older teens offers her a fleeting escape from grief-and a first taste of autonomy.
Biography
A multi-hyphenate filmmaker raised in Portland, Oregon; Jessica Barr's work often explores loss and coming of age. She's known for stirring and cerebral stories - grounded in naturalism. SOPHIE JONES, a feature that Barr wrote, produced and starred in premiered at the 2020 Deauville Film Festival and was acquired by Oscilloscope Laboratories, earning a rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Her psychological-thriller TIGHT had its world premiere at SXSW in 2024, where Harper’s Bazaar named it one of the top ten films to see. It is an official Vimeo Staff Pick. Her drama PRIVATE MOMENTS premiered on Directors Notes. She has been supported by the Future Of Film Is Female and worked as a director's assistant on S2 of THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY.
Jessica’s directorial feature debut THE PLAN, an ambitious one-take thriller, had its world premiere at the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival.