Jessica Mitchell is an academic researcher and screen producer based in Melbourne, Australia. She joined the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) School of Film and Television as a lecturer in 2023. Her teaching and research are rooted in extensive professional experience across Australian and international screen industries, with a focus on scripted development, producing and industry-oriented screen education.

Jess's career spans over two decades of professional practice in various roles, including producer and development producer, across scripted and non-scripted. Her work encompasses feature films, television, animation, advertising and emerging media.

She has held senior development positions within established production companies, most recently, she spent five years as Development Producer at WBMC, initially supported by Screen Australia Enterprise People funding, further working with See Pictures. Her responsibilities have included creative development, financing and international sales strategy for a diverse project slate. This work involved close collaboration with writers, directors and industry stakeholders in Australia and internationally.

As a producer, Jess has worked on films that have premiered at major international festivals, including Cannes, TIFF, Tribeca and the Berlin International Film Festival. Her work has been further recognised by AACTA, the Sydney Film Festival and Flickerfest.

Her extensive industry experience informs her academic focus on screen storytelling, creative collaboration, industry structures and sustainable career pathways in film and television.

At VCA, Jess is currently Co-Convenor of the Master of Screenwriting and teaches producing and production management across all degrees within the department. She contributes to curriculum development grounded in contemporary industry practice, research-led teaching and creative inquiry.

In 2024, she designed and delivered the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music’s first sustainability subject at the University of Melbourne as Subject Coordinator, making the VCA the first Australian tertiary institution to provide sustainability training for filmmaking students through an institutional partnership with Sustainable Screens Australia. Also in 2024, Jess received a University of Melbourne LTI Grant of $28,500 for curriculum innovation and development for the Department of Film and Television.

Her teaching approach focuses on empowering emerging filmmakers through a strong understanding of intellectual property and copyright as critical frameworks for creative autonomy and sustainable careers. She also emphasises the importance of understanding how screen works reach, engage and serve audiences.

Jess continues to maintain selective industry collaborations alongside her academic work, supporting research-informed creative projects and knowledge exchange between academia and the screen sector. Her personal filmmaking work is driven by a commitment to female-led screen stories and practice, as well as supporting the Australian film and television industries.

Ms

Jessica Mitchell

Lecturer in Film & Television, Producing

Victorian College of the Arts

Ms

Jessica Mitchell

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