HUMMINGBIRDS (2023)
PRODUCER, EDITOR, CO-DIRECTOR (STARRING & DIRECTED BY SILVIA DEL CARMEN CASTAÑOS & ESTEFANÍA “BEBA” CONTRERAS)
"If you combined the anarchic feminist energy of Věra Chytilová’s Daisies with the ironic attitude of Terry Zwigoff’s Ghost World and add the loose hangout vibes of Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, you might get something close to Hummingbirds, a delightfully feisty portrait of the friendship between two Mexican-American teens (one undocumented, the other not) in Laredo, Texas the summer after they graduate high school…Silvia and Estefanía are human fireworks who you’ll fall in love with from the film’s first seconds.”
– The Pitch
MAIDENTRIP (2013)
PRODUCER & DIRECTOR IN COLLABORATION WITH LAURA DEKKER
”On the surface, MAIDENTRIP is a documentary that recounts the incredible feat achieved by Laura Dekker, the Dutch schoolgirl who became the youngest person to sail solo around the world in January 2012 at age 16. But this is no fight-to-the-finish quest to break a sports record or perilous struggle for survival against the elements. Instead, it is a high-seas chanty of a coming-of-age tale: a portrait of a once-giddy youngster who develops into a poised and determined woman over the course of 17 months as she charts her course not just on the water, but in life.” - rogerebert.com
Press Links:
FILMMAKER MAGAZINE Trusting the Subject as a Collaborator: Jillian Schlesinger on Maidentrip
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL From Sea To Screen: A Young Sailor's Voyage
THE ATLANTIC Why a 14-Year-Old Girl Decided to Sail Around the World Alone
METRO NEW YORK Jillian Schlesinger lets teen sailor steer the boat in 'Maidentrip'
FILM.COM Director's Cut: Jillian Schlesinger ('Maidentrip')
TIME A 14-Year-Old Girl Sailed Around the World — And She Brought a Camera
PASTE MAGAZINE Catching Up With Jillian Schlesinger, The Director of Maidentrip
FILMLINC DAILY "Maidentrip" Shows a Very Different Teenage Dream