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Biography

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Zarubica is a fiercely imaginative award-winning writer-director-producer whose stories pulse with explosive energy, action, unconventional heroes, and the gritty magic buried in everyday life. She moves effortlessly across genres—action, thrillers, horror, coming of age —and across mediums, from features and television. She does it all with her unique vision, style, power and confidence! 

 

A dyslexic kid who never expected to become a writer, Zarubica sold her first script at 17, launched her own production company at 19, and directed her debut feature film during a global pandemic—completely remotely.

 

Her approach has always been unconventional, seamlessly blending creativity and storytelling with marketing strategy and A-Z hands on production skills. Zarubica’s super power is bringing her indie roots to juggernaut studios catering to dynamic stories while seamlessly fitting them to different mediums, platforms and budgets. 

 

After a decade of writing, directing, and producing, she joined pocket.watch as a senior producer in 2017, where she showran and oversaw billion-view digital series and directed pilots and shows for Amazon, Hulu, and Roku. She also directed and produced a series of commercials and promos for WWE, Simon & Schuster, Mattel and more. Her most notable tv project: Challenge Squad: Adventure Series, an action-packed kids’ show led by two kick ass girls and backed by a mostly female crew— changed the trajectory of her career and thrust her into the world of action filmmaking. ​

 

When the world shut down in 2020, she didn’t. Zarubica wrote and remotely directed the action rom-com Six Feet Apart (Hollywood Reporter), sold her action-thriller short Monsters to ABE to develop into a feature with her attached to write and direct the feature (Variety) and was hired by GoMedia to write and direct Spitfire an action dramady with Malcom McDowell attached to star. With her current focus on action filmmaking, Jessa most recently directed the proof of concept Grump (2025) now in development with her dream production company. 

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Off set, you’ll find her devouring Romantasy Novels (yes, I have read them all), mentoring rising female filmmakers, and losing the daily battle to keep Clementine—her table-surfing rescue beagle—off the kitchen table.  

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Detailed Resume

SCRIPTED TV & DIGITAL SERIES:

  • Witch Of The Wild West (2025) director, producer, produced by Somethin’ Extra Entertainment

  • Challenge Squah Mish Mash (2017-2020) director, writer, producer for Roku & Hulu produced by pocket.watch

  • Shay Mitchell: Chapters (2016 -2017) produced, directed, wrote starring Shay Mitchell (Pretty Little Liars) which aired on Full Screen and was produced by Kids At Play (Variety, deadline, Hollywood Reporter etc)

  • Pop Up (2014) Co-Showrunner, creator, producer

  • Orange is the New Black and Sexy (2013) Co-Showrunner, produced by Black & Sexy films

 

FEATURE FILMS:

DIRECTOR / WRITER / PRODUCER

  • Lockjaw (2026) screenplay writer, attached to direct in development

  • Six Feet Apart (2026) screenplay writer, director and producer (featured in Hollywood Reporter)

  • When I Die Take My Panties (2026) screenplay writer in development with Voyage

  • Edendale (2024) screenplay writer, attached to direct in development with author Micheal Ventura

  • Balls Out (2023) screenplay writer in development with Control Content

  • Spitfire (2022) screenplay writer and attached to director, in development with GO Media with Malcom McDowell attached

  • Just Wrong (2022) screenplay writer in development with Cathy Garber

  • Caged (2021) producer, produced with Panic House Films and released in 2021 (deadline / Hollywood Reporter)

  • Wolf-ish (2020) screenplay writer and attached to direct, sold to ABE in development

  • A Perfect Line (2019) screenwriter, optioned by Big Bubble Entertainment.

  • I am Not Ashamed (2018) associate producer, released in theaters nation wide

 

SHORT FILMS:

DIRECTOR / PRODUCER

  • Grump (2025) - Co-Writer / Director / Producer  - Now in development to become a feature at Original Films retitled “Lockjaw”

  • Mother Trucker (2024) - Writer / Director / Producer - Won awards for best director & indie Short at Indie Short Fest

  • Monsters (2019) - Writer / Director / Producer  - Sold to Allison Baver Entertainment to be developed as a feature film “Wolf-ish”

  • Processing Station (2017) - Producer - Dir: Rodrigo Espinosa (shot at Red Studios)

  • The Last Job (2016) - Producer - Dir: Brandon Calvillo (Vine, YouTube)

  • I Hate Your Laugh (2016) - Co-Director -Prodigium Pictures

  • Firefly (2012) -Writer / Producer  -Transatlantic Pictures

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COMMERCIALS & PROMOS:

DIRECTOR / PRODUCER

  • Promo for Disney Channel Worlds Collide Tour (2025, promo) director

  • Powder room promo (2024) - producer for Vijat Mohindra

  • Subnation & Fred Seagal Filmed Podcasts (2023) with Paris Hilton, Meghan Trainor, The Existentialbro etc.

  • Nowadays (2022, commercial) writer and director

  • Moth and Flame Campaign (PSA, 2022) - creative producer

  • Kinder Beauty Digital Campaign (2021, commercial) director and writer

  • Veggie Grill (2021, series of commercials) writer and director

  • Razor (commercial, 2021) creative producer

  • Baby Center (series of commercials, 2021) creative producer

  • Target promo for pocket.watch (2019),director and producer.

  • WWE campaign series with pocket.watch (2017-2019), director and producer

  • Mattel series of promos (2017-2019) for pocket.watch, director and producer

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UNSCRIPTED  TV & DIGITAL SERIES:

DIRECTOR / SHOWRUNNER / WRITER

  • The Big Score (TV series, 2022 - 2025) director on Disney Channel

  • Playground (2023, directed the digital / vertical unit) for Hulu & Bron TV with Misty Tosh & Dave Caplin (Monkey & Long Legs) producing

  • Faceplant (Season 2, 2022) executive producer and writer for Millionstories.

  • Be-U-tiful with Dr. Dugar (2022, unscripted TV Show) Executive Producer and Creator.

  • Purchase or Pass (2022, Season 1) director, showrunner, writer for Jelly Smack

  • Snoop Dogg & Outstanding Foods (2021, digital Series) director and writer

  • Wags To Riches (2021, digital series for Million Stories) writer, executive producer, and director for episode 112

  • Booth Camp with Lisa Walker (2020, digital series for Schwarzkopf) writer, director, and Showrunner

  • Bounce with Ryan Pilot (2019)director, producer with Albie Hect (Nickelodean) showrunning for pocket.watch

  • Captain Sparklez Mish Mash (2019) director, writer, producer for Roku & Hulu produced by pocket.watch

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FREELANCE 1st AD:

PROMOS & COMMERCIALS:  

  • WWE x Mattel & UNO SPIN (2025)

  • UNO (2024) & Zevo (2024)

  • NBC Super Bowl promo (2022) - NBC

  • Miley Cyrus x Pete Davidson NYE for (2022)

  • NBC, Miley Cyrus x Her (2022) - Hers

FEATURES

  • Josie (2018) - 1st AD

  • I’m Not Ashamed (2018) - 2nd AD & Associate Producer

  • Attachments (2016) - 1st AD 

  • Pearly Gates (2017) - 2nd AD

DIGITAL SERIES: ​​

  • Faceplant (2022) - MillionStories

  • Wags to Riches (2021) - MillionStories

  • Next Big Thing :Alessia Cara (2018) - Disney 

  • I’m Not Ashamed (2018) - 2nd AD & Associate Producer

MUSIC VIDEOS 

  • Faceplant (2022) - MillionStories

  • KSI - Wake Up Call (2021)

  • Anna Akana - Intervention (2019) 

  • Rick Ross, KSI, Lil Baby, s-x  (2018)

  • Jenna Raine (2018)

  • Asher Angel -Snow globe Wonderland (2017)

  • Johnny Orlando “Let go” (2016)

  • Forever In Your Mind (2016) 

  • D100 Mash-up for Disney Channel (2016)

  • Gregory Porter “Don’t Lose Your Steam”  (2016) etc. ​​​​

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In House Experience

POCKET.WATCH (2017- 2019)

SENIOR PRODUCER / SHOWRUNNER

One of the first 15 hires; helped build the production wing of the multi-platform company from the ground up. Directed, produced, and wrote original shows across digital, social, and streaming platforms (Amazon, Hulu, Roku). Oversaw over 800+ digital videos in one year, earning 40M+ views, including Challenge Squad and Captain Sparklez Mishmash (now streaming). Directed pilots like Bounce With Ryan. Led brand collaborations with WWE, Mattel, Target, and more—from ideation to delivery ofter directing and producing (see above). Managed talent, production schedules, budgets, and analytics to drive audience growth. Partnered with top creators: Ryan’s Toy Review (1B monthly views), Captain Sparklez (10M subs), EvanTubeHD, Bethany Mota, Amymarie Gaertner, and Chad Wildclay.

 

 

KIDS AT PLAY I FULL SCREEN (2016 - 2017)

DIRECTOR / WRITER / PRODUCER

Produced, directed & wrote the Shay Mitchell: Chapters (Variety, deadline, Hollywood Reporter etc) that starred Shay Mitchell (Pretty Little Liars) which aired on Full Screen. Worked with multiple brands, production companies, and marketing teams to execute the series with the most dynamic content and appeal for audiences.

 

 

PRODIGIUM (2014-2016)

CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER

Developed a slate of original films, TV Shows, New Media Content & Commercials for major production companies & brands. Cultivated the creative / development department with organized and effective implementation of creative strategies and effective goals. Helped produce, develop, and create multiple teams for projects across multiple platforms.​

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