Jessie Nelson (filmmaker)

Jessie Nelson is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter.

Her first feature was Corrina, Corrina which she wrote, directed, and produced. It starred Whoopi Goldberg and Ray Liotta. She went on to write, direct, and produce I Am Sam with Sean Penn, who received an Academy Award nomination for his performance. Jessie received the Stanley Kramer Award from the Producers Guild. She began her directing career with the award winning short, To The Moon Alice, which starred Chris Cooper. Her most recent film is Love the Coopers (2015), starring a large ensemble cast, including Diane Keaton, John Goodman, and Alan Arkin.

She co-wrote Stepmom and The Story of Us, and co-wrote and produced Because I Said So and produced Fred Claus based on a bedtime story she would tell her daughter. In 2014 she produced Danny Collins which starred Al Pacino and Annette Bening.

She wrote the Broadway bound musical adaptation of the movie Waitress with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, directed by Diane Paulus, which made its world premiere at the American Repertory Theater in Boston. She is also co-writing the musical Alice By Heart with Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik.

Jessie began her career acting with the theater group Mabou Mines at the Public Theater in New York and went on to perform in Shakespeare In The Park.

Nelson co-authored the 2011 children's book Labracadabra (ISBN 0670012513) with Karen Leigh Hopkins.

She is married to director Bryan Gordon.