Jessie Komitor: If Ben Affleck can do it, so can you

Ilse sits down with actor, writer, and director Jessie Komitor, whose debut film Chasing the Party premiered at Tribeca and somehow manages to be nostalgic, stylish, and devastating all at once. They dig into the strange magic of saying your dreams out loud, the moment Jessie finally allowed herself to claim the title of “director,” and the way girlhood imagination still sneaks into her work. Jessie talks about building her own DIY film school, choreographing ambitious dance sequences, and making art that captures the ache of growing up before you know you’re doing it. They also get into best friends, manifestation, French-singing dancers, stale beer, aliens, and why the proof-of-concept short became a bigger conversation than she ever expected.

Follow Jessie on IG @jesskom and watch Chasing the Party — the Oscar-qualified short everyone keeps talking about.

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