Jessica Yu

Directing

Jessica Yu

Born February 14, 1966 · New York City, New York, USA (age 60)

Jessica Yu (Chinese: 虞琳敏; pinyin: Yú Línmǐn) is an American film director, writer, producer, and editor. She has directed documentary films, dramatic films, and television shows. Yu won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject in 1996 for Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien (1996). Yu's film Last Call at the Oasis (2012) is based on Alex Prud'homme's Ripple Effect. He…

Known For

Quiz LadyQuiz Lady · 2023
Quiz Lady
★ 6.72023
MovieComedy
A brilliant but tightly wound, gameshow-obsessed young woman, Anne, and her estranged, train-wreck of a sister, Jenny, must work together to help cover their mother's gambling debts. When Anne's beloved dog is kidnapped, they set out on a wild, cross-country trek to get the cash the only way they know how: by turning Anne into a bona-fide gameshow champion.
A Very Jonas Christmas MovieA Very Jonas Christmas Movie · 2025
A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
★ 6.22025
MovieComedyMusic
Kevin, Nick, and Joe Jonas face a series of escalating obstacles as they struggle to make it from London to New York in time to spend Christmas with their families.
In the Realms of the UnrealIn the Realms of the Unreal · 2004
In the Realms of the Unreal
★ 7.22004
MovieDocumentary
In the Realms of the Unreal is a documentary about the reclusive Chicago-based artist Henry Darger. Henry Darger was so reclusive that when he died his neighbors were surprised to find a 15,145-page manuscript along with hundreds of paintings depicting The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glodeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Cased by the Child Slave Rebellion.
Better LateBetter Late · 1996
Better Late
★ 3.31996
MovieDrama
A middle-aged man sets the table for two. His sister drops by to give him their late mother's wedding ring, and flowers for the table for this special night. He changes his clothes several times and tries out various ways to propose marriage.
ProtagonistProtagonist · 2007
Protagonist
★ 6.92007
MovieDocumentary
Jessica Yu's documentary explores the relationship between human life and Euripidean dramatic structure by weaving together the stories of four men: German terrorist, a bank robber, an "ex-gay" evangelist, and a martial arts student.
Maria Bamford: Old BabyMaria Bamford: Old Baby · 2017
Maria Bamford: Old Baby
★ 5.22017
MovieComedyDocumentary
She's savagely upbeat. Lovably awkward. And full of surprises. A wildly funny trip through a one-of-a-kind comic mind.
Ping Pong PlayaPing Pong Playa · 2008
Ping Pong Playa
★ 5.92008
MovieComedyDrama
Streetwise swaggering Christopher "C-Dub" Wang is a suburban guy who waxes political on all things Asian American and clings to pro basketball pipe dreams. But when misfortune strikes his family, C-dub must overcome living at home, working a dead-end job and his worldly older brother, to run his Mom's ping pong classes and defend the family's athletic dynasty.
Focus Forward: Short Films, Big IdeasFocus Forward: Short Films, Big Ideas · 2012
Focus Forward: Short Films, Big Ideas
2012
MovieDocumentary
Focus Forward: Short Films, Big Ideas is an award-winning series of 30 three-minute stories about innovators—people who are reshaping the world through act or invention—directed by the world's most celebrated documentary filmmakers.

Filmography

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The Living MuseumThe Living Museum · 1998
The Living Museum
★ 7.01998
MovieDocumentary
At the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens, New York, Dr. Janos Martin helps treat patients with severe mental illness by encouraging them to express themselves through art, whether in paint, sculpture, or collage. In vivid imagery, brilliant close-ups, and delicate conversations, director Jessica Yu presents the intricate, often visionary, work of these nontraditional artists, allowing the patients to describe their approaches and processes in their own, sometimes tangled, words. With patience and calm resilience, Dr. Martin offers feedback and ideas for best methods to the individual artists, who sometimes scream or are in tears, as he helps them displace their frustrations, and demons, onto canvas. Seen as a collective, these works illustrate the fine line between creativity and distress and illuminate the healing power of expression.

Director