Education
2016
B.F.A. Film Production Honours, Simon Fraser University; Vancouver, B.C.
Grants & Awards
2022
Canada Council Concept to Realization Grant.
2021
Canada Council Concept to Realization Grant.
Canada Council Research and Creation Grant.
2020
Festival Filmer le travail Grand prix & Prix valorisation de la recherche, Labour/Leisure.
Canada Council Research and Creation Grant.
2019
B.C. Arts Council Scholarship.
Canada Council Concept to Realization Grant.
Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master’s Program.
Telefilm Talent to Watch Program.
Philip B. Lind Emerging Artist Prize at Polygon Gallery.
Canada Council - Travel Grant to present Labour/Leisure at Cinéma du Réel.
2018
Canada Council Concept to Realization Grant.
B.C. Arts Council Project Assistance for Media Artists.
National Film Board Filmmaker Assistance Program Grant.
Kelowna Film Society Project Grant.
2017
Canada Council Travel Grant to present Einst at Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Canada Council Travel Grant to present Einst at Images Festival.
2016
Canada Council Travel Grant to present Einst at Festival du Nouveau Cinéma.
2015
Simon Fraser University Service Award.
Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology Fellowship Award.
Launch! Artist’s Festival Imagining Positive Futures Award.
Retrospectives
2019
Curated by Jesse Cumming, Jackman Hall, AGO, Toronto, CA, January 2019.
Exhibitions
2022
Hazel Isle, Cinema Le Plaza, Geneva, CH, June to August 2022.
2019
Labour/Leisure, Solo Exhibition, Beursschouwburg Arts Centre, Brussels, BE, October, 2019.
Hazel Isle, Polygon Gallery, Philip B. Lind Prize, North Vancouver, B.C, May to June 2019.
2017
Einst, Sydney Storefront Loop, Sydney, N.S, April - May 2017.
2015
Capital’s Ephemeral Exploitation in Ocean Falls, Alternator Members’ Gallery,
Kelowna, B.C, May to June 2015.
Screenings
2023
Anyox, Rewire, The Hague, NL, April 2023.
Anyox, The Walker Art Centre, USA, March 2023.
2022
Anyox, Kassel Dokfest, DE, November 2022.
Anyox, Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, Montréal, QC, October 2022.
Anyox, Black Canvas Festival de Cine Contemporáneo, Mexico City, MX, October 2022.
Anyox, Vancouver International Film Festival, Vancouver, CA, September 2022.
Anyox, Open City Documentary Festival, London, UK, September 2022.
Anyox, Muta, Lima, PE, August 2022.
Anyox, Cinéma du Réel, Paris, FR, March 2022.
2021
Hazel Isle, The Cinematheque, Vancouver, CA, December 2021.
2020
Labour/Leisure, Ulju Mountain Film Festival, KR, October 2020.
Labour/Leisure, Pleasure Dome - Essential Work Program, Toronto, ON, September 2020.
Labour/Leisure, Frontera-Sur Festival Internacional de Cine de No Ficción, Concepción, CL, September 2020.
Labour/Leisure, Festival Filmer le travail, Poitiers, FR, February 2020.
2019
Labour/Leisure, Festival de cine contemporáneo black canvas, Mexico City, MX, October 2019.
Labour/Leisure, Vancouver International Film Festival, B.C, October 2019.
Labour/Leisure, Open City Documentary Festival, London, UK, September 2019.
Hazel Isle, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Scotland, UK, June 2019.
Labour/Leisure, Images Festival, Toronto, ON, April, 2019.
Labour/Leisure, Cinéma du Réel Festival, Paris, FR, March, 2019.
Uneasy Panoramas Retrospective, Vertical Features, Toronto, ON. January 2019.
2018
Hazel Isle, Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, Montréal, QC, October 2018.
Hazel Isle, Vancouver International Film Festival, B.C, October 2018.
Einst, BC (dis)Embodied, Spektrum, Berlin, DE, May 2018.
Einst, Trento Film Festival, Trento, IT, April 2018.
2017
Einst, WNDX: Festival of Moving Image, Winnipeg, MB, September 2017.
Einst, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Scotland, UK, June 2017.
Einst, Launch! Artists Festival, Vancouver, B.C, May 2017.
Einst, Images Festival, Toronto, ON, April 2017.
2016
Einst, Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, Montréal, QC, October 2016.
Einst, Vancouver International Film Festival, B.C, October 2016.
Ocean Falls, Leiden International Short Film Experience, NL, April 2016.
Ocean Falls, International Festival of Films on Art, Montréal, QC, March 2016.
2015
Ocean Falls, Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival, Portland, USA, October 2015.
Ocean Falls, Vancouver International Film Festival, B.C, September 2015.
E&N, WNDX: Festival of Moving Image, Winnipeg, MB, September 2015.
E&N, DOXA Film Festival, Vancouver, B.C, May 2015.
E&N, Launch Festival, Vancouver, B.C, May 2015.
Filmography
2023
Concrete Turned to Sand (feature length documentary, forthcoming)
2022
Anyox (87 min; documentary; 35mm/65mm/archival; 5.1)
2019
Labour/Leisure (19 min; documentary; 35mm to digital; 5.1; co-directed with Ryan Ermacora)
2018
Hazel Isle (13 min; experimental;16mm to digital; stereo)
2016
Einst (12 min; experimental;16mm to digital; stereo)
2015
Ocean Falls (13 min; documentary;16mm to digital; stereo; co-created with Ryan Ermacora)
E&N (4 min; documentary; 16mm transferred to digital; stereo; co-directed with Ryan Ermacora)
Bibliography
2022
Brunie, Corentin. “Anyox (2022) de Jessica Johnson et Ryan Ermacora,” Ciné-vrai, March 15, 2022.
Northrup, Andrew. “Andrew Northrop on Anyox” Open City, Aug 30, 2022.
Pacheco, Paloma. “Anyox and Geographies of Solitude: documenting destruction and preserving place in contemporary landscape film” ReIssue, Sep 2022.
Sarmiento Hinojosa, José. “CINÉMA DU RÉEL 2022: ANYOX, URBAN SOLUTIONS,” desistfilm, March 29, 2022.
Statius, Marthe. “Journal du Réel n°4,” Zone Critique, March 15, 2022.
Tavera, Louise. “Entretien avec Ryan Ermacora & Jessica Johnson, réalisateurs de Anyox,” Mediapart, March 14, 2022.
van de Klashorst, Marc. “Cinéma du Réel 2022 review: Anyox,” International Cinephile Society, March 14, 2022.
2020
Delgado, Mónica. “Frontera Sur 2020: Souvenir, Labour/Leisure y Una Luna De Hierro,” desistfilm, Sept 7, 2020.
2019
Polonsky, Naomi. "The Hidden Labor Beneath the Global Economy," Hyperallergic, Web. Sept 17, 2019.
Bruneau, Jaclyn. “A Case for “Mere” Recording: Films by Ryan Ermacora and Jessica Johnson,” Cinema Scope,
Print. Summer 2019
Cabrita, Josh. “Shorter Letters: Highlights from the Year in Canadian Shorts,” Cinema Scope, Print. Winter 2019.
Ling, Steffanie. “Shy Appreciation,” Program Notes: Vertical Features, Web. January 15, 2019.
Mullen, Pat. “The Landscape Films of Ermacora and Johnson,” Point of View Magazine, Web. January 14, 2019.
Woodend, Dorothy. “Art for an Anxious Age,” The Tyee, Web. June 5, 2019.
2018
King, Tash. “Hazel Isle: An Interview with Jessica Johnson,” Sad Mag, Web. Oct 2018.
2016
Rakestraw, Kevin. “Ocean Falls Review,” Film Pulse, Web. July 27, 2016.
Bateman, Conor. “Kinet Online Publishing Platform for Avant-Garde Cinema to Launch July 25,” 4:3 Film,
Web. July 2016.
2015
Seriani, Alysha. "SFU Filmmakers Shine In VIFF Shorts,” The Peak, Web. Oct 2015.
Barclay, Adèle and Waugh, Corie. “Vandocument: Make A Better World,” Co-op Radio CFRO. Vancouver, BC. Oct 2015.
Doherty, Shauna Jean. "Urban Decay - Curatorial Statement,” Presentation, VIVO Media Arts. 2015.
Jones, Megan. "SFU Film Students Present Short at DOXA,” The Peak, Web. May 2015.