Jessica Straker is a casting director, writer and producer working predominantly in Film + TV. In 2017, she begun working in casting as an associate on critically acclaimed and award-winning, ROCKS, before assisting on the multi award-winning anthology series, SMALL AXE. In 2021, both projects went on to win BAFTA Craft Awards for Casting + Scripted Casting respectively.

Since then, she has applied independent filmic street casting sensibilities onto television for BBC Three series, PRU + GRIME KIDS whilst also working on a multitude of projects by various established and emerging directors. Her work specialises in community-focused advocacy and authentic representation, helping those with great ideas find the most honest ways to express them through a mix of street casting, traditional casting, script research, story consultancy + development workshops. 

In 2018, Jessica was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize in flash fiction (under a pen name) whilst completing her Creative Writing MA at Oxford Brookes University. In 2021, her debut manuscript PANTHERA was longlisted for the Laura Kinsella Fellowship + Penguin WriteNow. Her non-fiction writing and journalism has previously been published in print and online by gal-dem, g-irl, Girls in Film, Mass Appeal and The Guardian. 

She is currently developing her debut screenplay, BLACK/RED/BLUE.

In 2022, Jessica joined Channel 4’s Leeds-based dance drama, DREAMERS, as Community Executive Producer - working to ensure the shows legacy fed into the local community via a crew traineeship scheme in partnership with 4Skills + NFTS; a 24 month cast aftercare programme; and engaging with the existing arts landscape of West Yorkshire.

She has also held position as an inaugural Associate Board Member for Abandon Normal Devices, a radical arts organisation and festival in the North of England. Her previous creative projects, JUICE VCR (2014-2019), was an online web channel showcasing the latest music videos/visuals from DIY + independent artists. In 2018, the platform hosted the UK premiere of cult 90’s public access television show, CONCRETE TV + Q&A with creator, Ron Rocheleau, as part of a late-night screening at London’s Rio Cinema.