JEWELZ CHIESA September 28, 2026

Rising Stars: Meet Jewelz Chiesa

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jewelz Chiesa.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Briefly walk us through your story, how you started, and how you got to where you are.

I was born in the Hudson Valley of New York to Artist parents, and Artist siblings. Dad made money building houses, selling Antiques, and made Art performing poetry. Mom made money as a ticket agent for the airlines, made Art as a sculptor, made folk dolls, and a great chef. Brother became a VFX Artist, Sister became a Choreographer & Performance Artist, and I became a Filmmaker.

We were a low income family, living pay-check to pay-check, but we’re Italian, we’re expressive, innovative, creative, strategic, detailed, and education is everything. Mom’s work gave us free airline tickets, so they’d save whatever they could for school & trips, we’d fly for free, sleep cheap, and see the world.

I’ve always been an Artist. I studied Ballet, Hip Hop and Jazz Dance in New York and then at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts I seriously studied Contemporary Dance. I completed my Bachelors and Masters in Fine Arts in New Zealand at the University of Auckland, Elam School of Fine Arts. I got into Art School as a painter, and came out a Filmmaker.

I started taking filmmaking seriously when I started pestering a DP at school with a million questions, who is still my mentor, and still in NZ answering my questions. He taught me about the 5 C’s of Cinematography, got me on set to camera assist 16mm films, and I was hooked for life.

I moved to Los Angeles in 2013, after 8 formative years in New Zealand, to “make movies” and after making lots of little things it led me to my first feature film that was about competitive Ice Skating on location in Kearney, Nebraska. I’m now based in Sacramento where I work as a Production Designer, SPFX Technician and Supervisor, and in Costumes. I Write, Direct, Produce and Design Independent Feature Films. I make films around the USA, and overseas , and I’ve made films in San Francisco, the surrounding Bay Area, in LA, in Kentucky, New York, New Zealand and Italy. I’ll work anywhere! I love making movies!

I fell in love with cinema when I was a child but something hit me when I was 18, I saw “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and knew I was on path to be making films. Then I saw “Ladri di biciclette” in Art School at 23, and I knew I needed to make films about starting over, and it’s been a recurring theme throughout my work ever since.

I worked on many small low budget independent short form projects to start out, and learn, and they each lead to bigger projects. Now, I work on films that range from a 100 thousand dollar budgets, to 10’s of millions.
I’m absolutely in love with everything I choose to do! I love to work hard, I love people, and I love having fun making stories come to life. I put in the work and its not hard to make films for me anymore. It’s a joy!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Has it been a smooth road? What were some of the struggles along the way?

It has not been a smooth road, but I love bumpy roads! That’s what my work is all about, dealing with the hard roads!

Being a woman, a single Mum, across the country from my family, having a daughter in this crazy time in History, investing in the wrong people, that is my bumpy road. But, I wouldn’t trade any of it for anything! It has kept me humble.

I am an up and coming Producer, and I’m analyzing where we are going wrong in Independent Film, and where we can be better, as Producers. I see a lot of Producers who don’t know what it actually takes to make things. I’m doing things differently! I want to support who it takes, what it takes, and how long it takes. One of the biggest bumps in our collective road, is the dismantling of our industry by leaders who care nothing and know nothing about making the movies. They don’t care to preserve this American artform, so the game is on to keep it alive.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We’d love to learn more about your work. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?

I lead the Art Department as an Independent Production Designer and have been for the last 12 years. I work in the Special Effects department because I’m also in love with Practical Effects. I work in Costumes supporting the powerful women who run that beautiful part of our Industry because clothing tells a lot about what’s inside. And I’m a script writer with a finished feature film script that’s going around, and 3 feature films I am researching for. All about Women.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to you? Why?

People matter most to me, because people affect everything.

I want people to feel each other through story telling, like we always have, It’s what makes us human!

It’s important to me to keep our film industry alive with new content, and I want to make more films in California.

Contact Info:

Website: https://www.jammerlab.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jammerlab/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jammerlab/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-chiesa-29043b8/

People in colorful costumes working at pink desks with bright decorations in a lively office setting.

Person with short blonde hair wearing a white shirt and black bow tie, sitting in front of a computer and office equipment.

Man in business attire holding a mug, standing near a water dispenser in an office, with a clock on the wall.

Woman with dark hair and tattoo sitting on a chair in a studio with lighting equipment visible.

Young woman with curly hair in a colorful outfit stands in front of red curtains, with a spotlight nearby.

A colorful room with people and a large woman figure in the foreground, bright blue walls, and red ceiling lights.

Front view of a car with headlights on, parked in a dimly lit urban area with graffiti walls.

Dimly lit room with a four-poster bed, red curtains, and two pink lamps, with a person standing nearby.

Two people sitting close together on a colorful, patterned couch, with a floral background behind them.

View through a car's rearview mirror showing parked vehicles and buildings outside.

A crowded outdoor market with tents, clothes hanging, and trees in the background.

A cluttered outdoor area with tents, vehicles, and debris, viewed from above on a rainy day.

Two basketball players in a locker room, one with the number 5 and the other with 10, facing away from the camera.

Three basketball players stand in a line facing a person with a camera in a dimly lit room with purple lighting.

Person in black shorts and purple socks standing in a gym, with a trainer or coach nearby, gym equipment in background.

Two musicians perform in a small, enclosed space with electronic equipment and instruments, one playing guitar and the other on drums.

Woman wearing headphones in a control room with electronic equipment, looking to the side, with sunlight coming through blinds.

Person playing guitar inside a transparent dome with electronic equipment in background.

Person with blonde hair and sunglasses relaxing on an orange lounge chair outdoors, reading a book.

Two children sit on a couch, viewed through a window, with one wearing a white shirt and the other in a dark top.

Red convertible car parked outside with two men standing nearby, a woman lounging on a chair, and a wall with greenery in the background.

Five women in colorful dresses pose in a room with red walls, framed pictures, and Asian calligraphy, some sitting and some standing.

Cozy bar with two red upholstered chairs, a wooden counter, warm lighting, and decorative wall art, illuminated by a disco ball.

Long hallway with yellow and green walls, multiple empty picture frames, chairs, and a rug, illuminated by ceiling lights.

3D floor plan showing multiple rooms with walls, doors, and furniture, viewed from above.

3D architectural model showing interior rooms with furniture and walls, viewed from above, with some exterior walls visible.

Construction site with wooden framing and exposed ceiling pipes, partially built interior walls, and construction tools, in an unfinished space.

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