About Me
Producing
Writing/Directing
Assistant Directing
Casting
Acting
Her debut short, Mother Tongue, follows two Chinese-Australian sisters and their Ma as they grapple with intrafamilial language barriers, cultural detachment and the post-immigration experience. Mother Tongue premiered at the Melbourne Women in Film Festival in 2021, where it was the recipient of both the Best National Next Gen Film Award and the Programmer's Choice: Best Victorian Next Gen Film Award, as well as the Critic’s Choice Award. Other accolades include receiving Best Drama at Freshflix Festival in Sydney and Best Emerging Filmmaker at the Setting Sun Film Festival.
Jessica crews extensively, predominantly working within the producing, assistant directing, script supervising and casting departments. She is based in Melbourne, Victoria, where she is currently developing her first long-form project.
INDEPENDENT NARRATIVE PRODUCING
18 mins
Writer/Director/Co-producer - Nathan Sirikumara
Co-Producer & 1st AD - Jessica Li
Cinematographer - Tim Shaw
1st ACs & Data Wranglers - James Bentley, Charlie McGowan, Chavi Levine, Bailey Quin & Tan Slayvehn
Sound Recordist - Erin McMahon
Boom Operators - Declan Magee & Gaia Mitting
Gaffers - Francis Healy Wood & Hamish Rayner
Best Boys & 2nd ACs - Remus Care & Thomas Snowden
Costume/Production Designer - Tiana Lioulios
Standby Props/Costume - Varvara Sova
Head of Hair & Makeup - Zoe Crawford
Hair & Makeup Artists - Isobel Boekeman & Courtney Vanderleest
Script Supervisors - Kate Matheson & Noah Janssen
Unit Production Managers - Amalia Krueger & Matthew Thompson
PA - Marko Regalo
Stills Photographers - Allena Tran, Dhakshitha Gamawalawwe & Lukas Ernst
Location Manager - Keith Sirikumara
Food Consultant - Nadia Sirikumara
Cast - Aayush Mudalinayaka, Thilini Ranasinghe, James Cerche & Isabel Knight
2023
Swinburne Univerisity of Technology
Lukas Ernst - Director
Jessica Li - Associate Producer and 1st AD
John Larkin - 1st AD
Genevieve Yanko - Producer
João Marco Deloie - Cinematographer
Marcus Bacarrella - Editor/1st AC
Erin McMahon - Sound
Ella Crowley - Production Designer
Francis Healy Wood, Corey Clement, Liam Harrington - Gaffer
Ari Diacolabrianos - Boom Operator
Zoe Crawford - Hair & Makeup Artist
Tegan Crowley - Intimacy Coordinator
Tash Kouta, Christian Misuraca - Script Supervisor
Eddie Gotts - Production Design Assistant
Alistair Green - Stills Photographer
Calum Williams - Catering
Ludomyr Kemp-Mykyta - Charlie
Olivia McLeod - Ophelia
Thalía Dudek - Nova
Sam Perry - Winter
Mikhayla Dennis - Bella
Extras
Eavelyn Reid
Jack Cullen
Christian Fagan
Benjamin Leembruggen
Owen Morfitt
Chiara henger
Hugh Burry
Brodie Grealish
8 mins
Victorian College of the Arts
Lukas Ernst - Writer/Director
Jessica Li - Producer/1st AD
Francis Healy Wood - DOP
Daniel Chua - Sound
Jack Stobart - Prod Design
Alex Langsam - Gaffer
Izaak Marrinan - Conti
Marcus Bacarella - 1st AC
Jyoti Dobson, Tenzin Casey Waters - 2nd AC
Josh Shub - Best Boy
Oscar Fairweather, Jurgen Nigli - Boom Op
Zoe Crawford - HMU
Mikhayla Dennis - Maya
Ava Grimshaw-Hall - Girl
Music video
4 mins
Swinburne University of Technology
| Simon McWilliam | Director |
| Francis Healy-Wood | Director of Photography |
| Jessica Li | Producer |
| Samantha Kwan | Prod Manager/Editor/Unit |
| Tenzin Casey Waters | Amira 1st AC |
| Theo Vanclay | Runner & Extra/Cam Op |
| Shenae Broadbent | Art Dept & Extra/Cam Op |
| Marcus Mason | Extra/Cam Op |
| Lawrence Mcrabb | Extra/Cam Op |
| Zoe Crawford | Extra/Cam Op |
| Chris Cochrane Friedrick | Extra/Cam Op |
| Weston Sparkes | Extra/Cam Op |
| Jaz Goodrich | Extra/Cam Op |
| Luke McCarthy | Extra/Cam Op |
| Sam McGowan | Extra/Cam Op |
| Heshi Wijerantha | Extra/Cam Op |
| Lawrence LaRosa | Extra/Cam Op |
| Alistair Green | Extra/Cam Op |
| Ollie Little | Extra/Cam Op |
| Echota Nadin | Extra/Cam Op |
| Jack Wilson-Lee | Extra/Cam Op |
CORPORATE PRODUCTION COORDINATING
Australian Beauty School/My Learning Online
In-house Production Coordinator
2024
Advanced Eyelash Extensions
Eyebrow Henna
Occupational Health & Safety
Nail Foundations
Bridal Masterclass
How to Achieve Photoready Bridal Makeup without looking cakey
Typsy E-Learning Courses
Production Coordinator
https://www.typsy.com/
(2022-2023)
In-house Content
Site Inspection Management - 60 mins
Effective Communication Essentials - 43 mins
Latte Art Fundamentals - 56 mins
Teamwork Fundamentals - 40 mins
Customer Service Essentials - 58 mins
Food Plating Fundamentals - 62 mins
Advanced Hotel Sales Skills - 64 mins
Reimagining Classic Sauces - 50 mins
Customer Service Recovery - 39 mins
Becoming a Star Employee - 40 mins
Offering Services to Guests with Disabilities - 103 mins
Online Reputation Management - 49 mins
Social Media Marketing - 48 mins
Handling Food Safety in Retail - 52 mins
Showing Kindness - 52 mins
Introduction to Red Wine Varietals - 62 mins
Creating Positive Social Change - 7 mins
Parking Attendant to Award-Winning General Manager - 6 mins
Discovering Where You Fit - 6 mins
Wheel the World: Creating Accessible Experiences - 7 mins
Client Content
EarthCheck
Redcape Hotel Group
Diversey
Queensland Tourism Industry Council
Radisson Blu
Madison Square Garden
ANZ Plus App tour (2022)
9 mins
Directed by Tim White - We Are Crayon
Production Coordinator
https://www.anz.com.au/plus/tour/
WRITING AND DIRECTING
Mother Tongue (2020)
12 mins
17-year-old Jane begins to embrace her background and rekindle her relationship with her mother when she becomes immersed in Chinese culture at her younger sister’s new language school.
Writer/Director - Jessica Li
Co-Producers - Samantha Kwan & Heshi Wijerathna
Director of Cinematography - Francis Healy Wood
Sound Recordist/Designer - Jenni Aldred
Production Designer - Kasia Silva
Editor - Samanthan Kwan
1st Assistant Directors - Isobelle Amie & Sarah Clayton
2nd Assistant Director - Madi Lee
3rd Assistant Director - Rachel Chen
1st Assistant Cameras - Prince Kanishk Nediyedath, Marcus Mason & Nicoletta Centofanti
2nd Assistant Cameras - Tenzin Orlando, Marcus Bacarella
Steady Cam Operator - Hannah Palmer
Gaffers - Lawrence Mccrabb, Teddy Dahlson & Weston Sparkes
Boom Operator - Lukas Ernst
Hair & Makeup Artist - Zoe Crawford
Production Design Assistants - Clay Waddell, Amelia Childs & Kimberley Lam
Continuity - Nathan Sirikumara
Stills Photographer - Alistair Green
BTS Videographer - Bridget Webster
Unit Manager - Sarah Scales
Runners - Gemma Carfi & Sam McGowan
Streamed on SBS on Demand 2022 - 2023
Official Selection - 2021 Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival (US)
Official Selection - 2021 FUSE Darebin Combat Discrimination Film Festival (AUS)
Official Selection - 2021 Multicultural Film Festival 2021(AUS)
Official Selection - 2021 21st Anniversary DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival (US)
Official Selection - 2021 Setting Sun Film Festival (AUS)
Official Selection - 2021 Nantucket Film Festival (US)
Official Selection - 2021 Oxford Film Festival (US)
Official Selection - 2021 Women in Film and Television (WIFT) V-Fest (AUS)
Official Selection - The 25th Annual Canberra Short Film Festival 2021 (AUS)
Official Selection - 2021 The ReelGood Film Festival (AUS)
Official Selection - 2021 Freshflix Film Festival (AUS)
Official Selection - 2021 Melbourne Women in Film Festival (AUS)
Official Selection - 2021 Festival International du Film documentaire Océanien (France)
Official Selection - 2020 Mosaic World Film Festival (US)
Official Selection - 2020 Aesthetica Film Festival (UK)
Multicultural Film Festival - 2021 Short Fiction Film Honourable Mention
Setting Sun Film Festival - 2021 Cultural Diversity Award
Setting Sun Film Festival - 2021 Best Female Filmmaker nomination
Setting Sun Film Festival - 2021 Best Emerging Filmmaker Award
WIFT - V-Fest Competition Finalist 2021/Best Student Film nomination
Critics Lab (MWFF) - 2021 Critics Choice Award
Freshflix Festival - Best Drama 2021
Melbourne Women in Film Festival - Best Next Gen Film Award 2021
Melbourne Women in Film Festival - Programmer's Choice: Best Victorian Next Gen Film Award 2021
Accolade Global FIlm Competition 2020 - Award of Merit (Special Mention) November 2020 - Film Short (Student), Women Filmmakers (Student)
Film Victoria Graduate Award - 2019 Showcase & Industry Awards - Certificate of Merit: Best Film Award
Film Victoria Graduate Award - 2019 Showcase & Industry Awards - Certificate of Merit: Best Producer
Film Victoria Graduate Award - 2019 Showcase & Industry Awards - Certificate of Merit: Best Cinematography
Film Victoria Graduate Award - 2019 Showcase & Industry Awards - Certificate of Merit: Best Script Award
WRITING CREDITS
Return to Paradise (2023)
Television
Lead writer - Peter Matessi
ABC x BBC Studios
Role: S01 Notetaker
FLUNK (2019)
Webseries
Lead writer - Ric Forster
Screen Australia, Vicscreen & Lilydale Films
Role: Ingrid (character)
WRITING TRAINING
Australian Writer’s Guild First Break 2022 Victoria program
https://www.awgpathways.com.au/writer/jessica-li/
Instructor - Catherine Kelleher
Skills: notetaking, writer’s room and script coordinator training
Matchbox Pictures writers' room training 2017
Instructor - Michael McMahon
Swinburne University of Technology
Bachelor of Film and Television
Major: Writing and Directing
High Achiever’s Program
Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship
Assistant Directing
FAMISHED (2024)
Proof-of-Concept Short
Directed by Nathan Sirikumara
Role: 1st AD
One House Stand (2023)
Short
Directed by Lukas Ernst
Role: 1st AD
Gem (2021)
Short
Directed by Jim Muntisov
MIFF 2022)
Role: 1st AD
Day Seven (2021)
Campaign
Directed by Gabrielle Pearson
Majella Productions
Role: 1st AD
Tui Na (2021)
Short
Directed by William Duan
Queer Screen NSW, Mardi Gras Film Festival and City of Melbourne
Role: 2nd AD
The Kids on Murphy Street (2020)
Short
Directed by Alistair Green
Role: 1st AD, 2nd AD
Character Based Improv/Mike Leigh Method 2018
Course
Coached by Rob Marchand
16th Street
Role: 1st AD
Monkey Man (2018)
Webseries
Directed by Joe Eidelson
Bamyasi Medi
Role: 2st AD
The Desperate (2018)
Short Feature
Directed by Nathan Sirikumara
Role: 2nd AD
Maganda: Pinoy Boy vs Milk Man (2017)
Feature
Directed by Matthew Victor Pastor
Role: 1st AD
CASTING
The Kids on Murphy Street (2021)
Short
Directed by Alistair Green
Role: Casting
Someone Else (2021)
Short
Directed by Luke McCarthy
Role: Casting
Tui Na (2021)
Short
Directed by William Duan
Queer Screen NSW, Mardi Gras Film Festival and City of Melbourne
Role: Casting
The Desperate
Short Feature
Directed by Nathan Sirikumara
Amazon Prime US
Role: Casting
ACTING
2019 - PEM studios : The Perdemkamp Emotional Method (coach Sarah Victoria and Rik Stowman)
2018 - 16th Street : Character Based Improv/Mike Leigh Method (coach Rob Marchand)
2017 - Howard Fine Acting Studio : Technique Master Class, (coach Howard Fine, David Coury and Barbara Alexander)
2017 - Howard Fine Acting Studio : Year Long Youth Course (scholarship), (coach Shane Savage, Phoebe Taylor, Jessica Martin and Sarah Hallam)
2017 - Aullywood Film & Media : Acting Technique, Star of Tomorrow Course (coach Li Yang)
2016 - Howard Fine Acting Studio : Technique Master Class (coach Howard Fine)
2016 - Howard Fine Acting Studio : Teen Acting Technique Intensives (coach Shane Savage)
COMMERCIAL
2018 - Vocam Safety Campaign (dir. Tom Carroll - Vocam) : Corporate Worker (lead)
2017 - Young Workplace Safety Campaign (JMAdvertising) : Young Worker (lead)
NARRATIVE
2021 - 'What's Your Number' short (dir. Lukas Ernst - Swinburne) : Katie (lead)
2021 - 'Flunk' web-series (dir. Ric Forster - Lilydale Films & Screen Australia) Season 3: Ingrid (lead)
2020 - 'Social Distancing: A New Flunk Novel' audiobook by Ric Forster : Narrator (voice)
2019 - 'Flunk' web-series (dir. Ric Forster - Lilydale Films) Season 2: Ingrid (lead)
2018 - 'Flunk' web-series (dir. Ric Forster - Lilydale Films) Season 1 : Ingrid (lead)
2017 - 'Smoke' 16mm short film (dir. Luke McCarthy - Swinburne University of Technology) : as herself (minor)
2016 - 'A Gap' short film (dir. Jessica Li - Swinburne) : Girl (lead)
2016 - 'Lost in Music' short film (dir. Francis Healy Wood - Swinburne) : Dancer
2019 - 'Surface Area' body paint performance art exhibition (photo. Maya Britbart - Mudfest) : Interviewee/Model
2018 - 'Flunk Life' cast interviews (dir. Ric Forster - Lilydale Films) : Interviewee
2016 - 'All For a Number' short documentary (dir. Jessica Li - Swinburne) : Interviewee
2016 - 'The Living Room' S06E08 (Network 10) : Taste Tester
REVIEWS
'"Actress Jessica Li shines from episode 11, bringing heartbreaking authenticity to the emotional rollercoaster ride." - Accidentally Alex, (Flunk Is The LGBT Web Series You Need To Watch Now)
LANGUAGES
Fluent in English, natural Australian accent
Intermediate Chinese Mandarin, natural Beijing accent