Award-winning filmmaker and photographer Jess Colquhoun, who’s worked extensively with Stept Studios over the past few years, has officially joined the company’s directorial roster for commercials and branded content.
Colquhoun’s films are told through a documentary approach with an emotive and naturalistic eye that reflects her curious nature and passion for people, music, and culture, with a love of human-centered storytelling. Her documentaries Valley Of A Thousand Hills (Best Family Film – San Francisco Film Festival 2017) and The Black Mambas (Winner Glamour Magazine x Girl Gaze #NewView Film Competition 2017) are two prime examples of her attention to heart and detail. She has collaborated with international brands including Apple Music, Dove, Levi’s, Harley Davidson, Airbnb and Times Up Entertainment, and has achieved Vimeo Staff Pick recognition for several of her films. Colquhoun’s work has been featured in Vice, National Geographic, and Glamour. She has also collaborated with numerous musical artists including HAIM and Florence and the Machine.
Her Webby-nominated documentary Sundays at the Triple Nickel, supported by Crown Royal, won a 2020 Branded Content Gold Telly Award and two Silver awards including for craft of directing. Exploring the power of music in Harlem, New York, the film is evocative and lyrical, sharing a mother’s weekly ritual to honor the profound loss of her son through the meditation of jazz performances. Colquhoun’s lens deftly showcases the Sugar Hill neighborhood, long home to jazz legends redefining and reinventing the genre, while sharing an intimate and atmospheric portrait of the woman behind the piano. The film is a cinematic celebration of community and connection, considering its extraordinary ability to withstand grief through imagination. The film’s online release reached almost 4 million viewers. Colquhoun’s branded films are an echo of her ability to identify relevant and undiscovered stories, built with her passion for development and a hands-on approach. Her additional films include a PSA for Times Up Entertainment, which screened across AMC cinemas nationwide, shining a light on real women within the industry who are paving the way for the next generation of female filmmakers.
Colquhoun, who splits her time between London and Los Angeles, is looking forward to collaborating across commercials and original projects at Stept.. “Creating with the team has always been a rewarding experience and I’m looking forward to developing further films that share compelling stories and resonate with a wide audience.”
Stept founder Nick Martini said, “Jess and Stept are a perfect values-match. We all bring our intense passion for storytelling and our dedication to the highest caliber of filmmaking to every shoot. We’re happy to make our partnership official and to continue pushing boundaries in the work we create together.”
Stept Studios maintains bases of operation in L.A. and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
