Jackie Jesko is an American film director, producer, and journalist. Jesko has worked on Vice on both iterations on HBO and Showtime. She has additionally worked on projects for Vice TV. In 2023, she directed and produced Savior Complex for HBO.
Career Jesko started out at ABC News, producing investigative stories for Nightline. Jesko worked on both iterations of Vice for HBO and Showtime, serving as a producer on the episodes After the Fall, The Battle for Idlib and India Burning, which won the James Foley Award for Courage in Journalism, OPC Edward R. Murrow Award, and Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award respectively.
Jesko is the co-founder of Latchkey Films, a production company focusing on non-fiction storytelling. She served as a producer on Between Life & Death: Terri Schiavo's Story for MSNBC Films, and Demons and Saviors for Hulu.
In 2023, Jesko directed and produced Savior Complex for HBO, revolving around Serving His Children and its founder, Renee Bach.
In 2025, Jesko directed and produced Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything for ABC News Studios/Hulu, revolving around the life and career of Barbara Walters. It had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 12, 2025, and was released on June 23, 2025, by Hulu.
In 2026, Jesko co-directed the documentary film, baby/girls. The film followed the lives of three teenage mothers in rural Arkansas, debuting at the South by Southwest Film Festival.
Filmography Film Year Title Director Producer Notes Ref. 2025 Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything 2026 baby/girls
Television Year Title Director Producer Notes Ref. 2014–2017 ABC News Nightline 3 episodes 2018 Vice 5 episodes 2020 Fringe Nation Episode: "The Legacy of the KKK" 2023 Savior Complex 3 episodes Between Life & Death: Terry Schiavo's Story TV Documentary Demons and Saviors 3 episodes
Awards and nominations Organizations Year Category Work Result Ref. News and Documentary Emmy Awards 2015 Outstanding Coverage of a News Story ABC News Nightline ("The Ebola Crisis") Outstanding Hard News Report in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast ABC News Nightline ("The Gates of Hell") Best Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast ABC News Nightline ("The Ebola Crisis") 2017 Outstanding Investigative Report in a Newscast ABC News Nightline ("Daughters for Sale") 2018 Outstanding Feature Story in a Newscast ABC News Nightline ("Femicide: The Untold War") 2021 Outstanding Feature Story in a News Magazine Vice Investigates
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