Jia Wertz

Jia Wertz is an independent documentary filmmaker pursuing stories that explore wrongful convictions in the name of protecting the social order. She is currently investigating the vagaries and inconsistencies of the American Criminal Justice system through the story of Jeffrey Deskovic and other exonerees who have had their freedom restored at the cost of irreparable damage to their minds, relationships, and families. Her debut documentary short titled Conviction premiered at the Greenwich International Film Festival and had great success on the festival circuit with Official Selections at 17 festivals. The film won awards for Best Picture, Best Cinematography, and an Award of Distinction, and is featured on Amazon Prime. She is currently in the final stages of post-production on the feature-length documentary of the same story.    Jia is from Calgary, Alberta and currently divides her time between Calgary and New York City with her husband and son. In addition, Jia is a featured writer for Forbes, has contributed to a number of business and fashion publications, and is the Founder and fashion designer of Studio 15.