Rez Ball

The Rough Cut

Editor - Jessica Baclesse

REZ BALL editor, Jessica Baclesse says she got the job for the film through a chance encounter with a not-so-stranger across a crowded room. Random or not, Jess already had plenty of editing experience under her belt, including time logged cutting a big sports movie with Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut, CREED III (2023).

REZ BALL was directed by Sydney Freeland and co-written by Freeland and Sterlin Harjo (RESERVATION DOGS). It tells the story of the Chuska Warriors, a Native American high school basketball team from New Mexico who, after losing their star player, must band together to keep their quest for a state championship alive.

Jessica Baclesse

Jessica Baclesse is an award-winning film editor working in features, television and commercials. In addition to editing Creed III with Tyler Nelson, she was an additional editor on Marvel's 2021 television series Loki, directed by Kate Herron, and a pre-production editor on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Baclesse's work on Nike's 2020 You Can't Stop Us received an Emmy for Outstanding Commercial, a Cannes Grand Prix Lion and an AICP Award for Best Editing Montage. Jess has also edited global commercial campaigns, including Instagram's Get Into What You Love, which was nominated for a Webby Award for Best Use of Video or Moving Image in Advertising.

Baclesse received her MFA in Film from Columbia University and has edited many critically renowned narrative shorts that have been featured at festivals such as Slamdance, LA Film Festival, and Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Editing Rez Ball

In our discussion with REZ BALL editor Jessica Baclesse, we talk about:

• The importance of understanding geographical isolation
• Following the "How to..." from Hoosiers
• Letting the kids lead you to the story
• LeBron James, technical advisor
• Going to "sheep camp"

The Credits

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