Meet Julia Hess | Director & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julia Hess and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julia, what do you want your legacy to be?
I really hope my legacy is bringing more diversity to film in-front and behind the camera. I care deeply about bringing more people of color to the screen and telling authentic stories while also promoting diversity behind the camera as well. Lack of diversity in film and television had such a big impact on my childhood, and being able to help change that for the next generations would mean so much to me. I grew up as a Chinese-adoptee in a predominantly-white Philadelphia suburb. I saw too few faces on my tv screen that remotely looked like me, with very few “role model” figures so being able to bring more diversity to mainstream television shows and movies would be terrific.
There’s still not enough women directors, producers, and women department heads.
I am so fortunate to be in a position to be working with, and promoting so many women and people of color on screen. I’ve had the amazing opportunity to direct a few great short films with BIPOC lead characters and stories. I loved being part of a webseries called HomeGirls, created by Loren Maxine, all about Black Sisterhood and navigating their way in Los Angeles. The webseries is created, written and produced by black women.
I’m also really proud that i’ve been able to share with the world so many inspiring, talented, and diverse restaurant owners and chefs that wouldn’t normally have the chance to have their stories told. While working at Eater.com on their video team, it brought me such joy to have the opportunity to research and pitch stories about people from so many different backgrounds to celebrate food & culture through documentary storytelling. Representation in all aspects of filmmaking matters – whether it’s the characters on the screen, the stories that are being told, or the people behind the camera making it all happen. I look forward to continuing to be an advocate for authentic minority storytelling in both nonfiction and fiction films.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Growing up, I really struggled with who I was as a Chinese-adoptee in a white, American family in a predominantly white school. I went to Saturday Chinese school and felt Chinese, but then going to school there was nothing more I wanted than to be like every regular white kid in my class. As i’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to embrace my Chinese heritage and learned how important it is to hold your differences close to you as that’s what makes you special. I’ve had the privilege of being able to go back to China twice for extended stays, one being a semester abroad in Shanghai. I was able to learn so much about where I come from – the language, the culture, the food, and the history of China. It was a beautiful and moving experience that really helped me embrace and love a part of myself that I had shied away from for so long. I’ve always been a curious person and loved learning about the people around me in my daily life. Everyone has a story and I love being able to help people embrace the stories within them. We should not be shying away from the things that make us different, but rather we should be highlighting them. I’ve loved shining a light on those from unique, often untold backgrounds as a documentary and fiction filmmaker.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My friends often look to me when looking for LA recs, especially about the food scene, so I absolutely love this question! I could probably write a whole dissertation about what to eat in Los Angeles, but i’ll spare you from that.
First, my top things to do with your friends that have never been to LA.
Typically, one of the first things we do is rent bikes to bike along the beach and Santa Monica to get acquainted with the neighborhood. I love the beach path that runs from Santa Monica south through Venice beach and beyond. I’ll have us bike all the way over to the Venice Canals, where we park our bikes and enjoy a nice stroll along the canals to admire the houses and man-made canals.
Another fun way to introduce the city to your friends visiting would be to take them to the Griffith Observatory, this is great either during the daytime or at sunset. It offers amazing views of the city and there’s a number of hiking trails for you to do if you’re feeling adventurous. I know the Observatory seems cheesy, but the museum inside is great and I feel so at peace being able to see the entire city in a panorama view.
For entertainment, The Don’t Tell Comedy Shows are particularly fun as they have a surprise lineup at a mystery location that you don’t find out until the day of. You also can never go wrong with a show at The Improv or Dynasty Typewriter. If you’re looking for live music, the “Saturdays at Sevens” series at the kombucha bar, Juneshine, in Santa Monica is always a great time. It’s now finally summer, so I love taking advantage of the free Jazz nights at the LACMA on Friday nights and will take my friends to that. We’ll grab takeout and bring a blanket to sit on to enjoy music while we eat. I really love Larchmont Wine & Cheese for their cheap and delicious Italian sandwiches and that makes a convenient picnic food.

Now getting into food, here are my highlights.
For coffee, La La Land Kind Cafe’s iced Lavender Bloom Latte with the la la cloud has my heart. I also really love the Einspanner latte (and donuts) from Memory Look.
For pastries, I love Artelice Patisserie for their savory croissants and macaroons. Petitegrain Boulangerie in Santa Monica is also a new favorite of mine, their lines can be long and they tend to sell out quickly though!

For tacos (because yes they get their own category), I love the taco stand that sets up in front of the Venice Whole Foods on Lincoln Boulevard or Angel’s Tijuana Taco’s. If you don’t want to go to a stand and want to sit down, I really like Sonoratown and Guisados – they both make their own tortillas!

I really love the tried and true, Jitlada – a James Beard award-winning restaurant specializing in Southern Thai cuisine but also one of my personal favorite restaurants in the city. Their crispy duck rolls are something I dream about. They also have phenomenal curries, but if neither of those fancies you, they have about 100 other menu items, so i’m sure you’ll find something you like. Be prepared to wait in line as they don’t take reservations, but the wait is worth it.

Another place that has a deadly wait or an impossible reservation to grab is Pijja Palace. They’re an Indian-Italian sports bar serving up Indian-inspired chutney pizzas and their version of a spicy vodka pasta – malai rigatoni. Their spicy garlic bread is also so damn good for no reason. Don’t skip out on the cookies & cardamom soft serve for dessert – but this is also my public plea to bring back the Malted Chai flavor.

One of my other top restaurants in the city would be Guelaguetza. They specialize in Oaxacan (Mexican) food. My go-to order for big groups is ordering a Tlayuda for the table and the Festival de Mole which includes all four of their moles. Plus if you’re lucky, they’ll have the Mariachi band playing live music as you eat for a really fun and festive vibe to add to your dining experience!

For Taiwanese, Pine and Crane is not to be skipped. To order for the group – panfried pork buns, mapo tofu, and dan dan noodles.

For Italian, Colapasta has amazing housemade pastas for less than $25 and off-menu focaccia. They’re also on the Michelin Guide. If you want to go more upscale, Felix by Evan Funke lives up to the hype with his hand-rolled pastas and to-die-for Sfincione.

For dessert, The Bigg Chill serves up amazing, rotating flavors of soft serve and vegan cookie doughs you can add on top (they’re cash only, by the way!). Millet Crepe on Sawtelle makes amazing creme brulee filled crepe cones.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m a firm believer in achieving your dreams takes a village. I’d firstly love to shout out my family – my parents, my little sister, my extended relatives, and my childhood friends. My family has not only allowed me, but encouraged me to chase after my dreams no matter how big they may be. Their support means the world.

I’d also love to shoutout The Reel Champions. I’ve been the Head of Strategy for almost three years on their executive board. The organization also holds an annual mentorship program that seeks to uplift women and non-binary people of color in the executive/corporate pipeline of the entertainment industry. By forming and nurturing mentorship relationships, we hope to create an exceptional class of executives, producers, agents, managers and more.
During these hard times in America, it’s now more important than ever to be building community and supporting each other rather than tearing eachother down. It’s so much fun being able to cheer on and support the people i’ve met along the way. The Reel Champions has helped me find such a strong sense of community here in Los Angeles and i’m so glad to have it be part of my story.

Lastly, i’d love to give a quick shout out to so many of my mentors that were instrumental in my creative journey and who I am today – Pat Jordan, Kathy Hendrix, Michael Trainer, Katie Frazer, and Michelle Sullivan.

Website: https://juliazhess.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejuliahess/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-hess/

Other: The Reel Champions website: https://www.thereelchamps.com/

My Food Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/juju_eatsfood

Image Credits
Steve Escarcega
Connor Reid
Livia Azevedo