The Fargo Film Festival is proud to announce that the documentary feature “JessZilla” will screen as the Opening Night Showcase on Tuesday, March 21st at 7 p.m. at the Fargo Theatre. Director Emily Sheskin and producer Ben Kainz will both attend the Festival as special guests; they will appear live on stage for a Q&A immediately following the film. Fargo Film Festival passes are currently on sale. Individual tickets for Opening Night go on sale later in February.

“JessZilla” premieres at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in February before continuing its festival run in Fargo. Emily Sheskin previously attended the 2018 Fargo Film Festival with her documentary short about Jesselyn Silva.

About JessZilla:
Jesselyn Silva is a fighter. Known as JessZilla, the young athlete has climbed the national ranks in youth boxing. With her eyes set on joining the US Olympic team, Silva is determined to compete in the world’s biggest rings. However, she is forced to take on a very different fight when an unthinkable diagnosis changes everything. Visit the film’s website: https://www.jesszillathefilm.com/

About the filmmakers:

Emily Sheskin is a director and editor who has worked on award-winning documentaries, TV specials and advertising campaigns. Her work has been featured in numerous publications such as (but not limited to) The New York Times, National Geographic, and The Atlantic. She holds a BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is a member of New York Women in Film & Television, and IFP.




Ben Kainz is a producer based in New York City. He’s produced several short films, directed by Emily Sheskin, which have been featured as a New York Times Op-Doc and screened at festivals like the Hamptons International Film Festival, DOC NYC, and IFF Boston. Currently, Ben is producing a feature-length documentary about Jesselyn Silva, a young boxing phenom who has dreams of becoming an Olympic Boxer.