Chelsea Jackson is a documentary film director & editor who has edited two national Emmy Award-winning films and specializes in cinema vérité style story development. Her recent work includes directing and editing two Heartland Emmy-nominated episodes of PBS12’s Decode Colorado series - one on teen mental health and another on the social determinants of health.

FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES

THE HOLLY (2022)

Co-Editor, Co-Writer, Associate Producer, Post Supervisor

Directed by Julian Rubenstein

THE HOLLY goes deep inside a gentrifying community in Denver, where a shooting case involving an activist becomes a window into the political machinations of urban development, policing and the city’s gang activity.

Winner of a 2025 News and Doc Emmy, winner of a 2024 Heartland Emmy, winner of the 2023 Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) award for best documentary, winner of the Mountainfilm audience choice award for best feature, winner of the Jury Award for best feature documentary at Santa Fe International Film Festival.

Hulu | Prime | Apple+ | PBS

AMBER: THE GIRL BEHIND THE ALERT (2023)

Co-Editor

Directed by Elizabeth Fisher

Amber Hagerman's mother details her daughter's shocking murder and shares chilling documentary footage that captures the 9-year-old's final days. Amber's legacy is an alert system that has saved over 1,000 children.

Nominated for a 2024 News and Doc Emmy.

NBC Peacock

SELECT SHORT DOCUMENTARIES

FOREVER HOME (Coming 2025)

Editor

Directed by Allison Argo

In the heart of North Carolina, two dreamers are revolutionizing animal care through groundbreaking architecture, one structure at a time. Their sanctuary, Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge, shows us these animals in a new light - from goats who thrive in vertical spaces to chickens whose house opens with the sun.

As they build an ingenious new home for rescued cows and their calves, this moving documentary reveals a groundbreaking vision for how we can see and care for the animals most people overlook.

Through masterful visual storytelling and endearing animal and human characters, Forever Home invites us to reimagine our relationship with farm animals by showing us who they really are when they're given the chance to simply be themselves

THE LOVE BUGS (2019)

Editor, Story Advisor, Co-Cinematographer

Directed by Allison Otto and Maria Clinton

Over 60 years, Charlie and Lois O’Brien traveled to more than 67 countries, quietly amassing the world’s largest private insect collection, and entomological game-changer of 1.25 million specimens. The two renowned, married entomologists now grapple with the advancement of the Parkinson’s disease that afflicts Charlie. But Charlie and Lois know they need to keep fighting for the value of scientific knowledge, so they turn to their insects for a little help.

This humorous and poignant documentary explores the Love of Nature and the Nature of Love – and what it means to devote oneself to both…

Winner of the 2021 News and Doc Emmy for Outstanding Short Documentary as well as five audience choice awards for best short documentary.

PBS POV

WELCOME STRANGERS (2020)

Editor, Story Advisor

Directed by Dia Sokol Savage

When asylum-seeking immigrants are released from an ICE detention facility onto unfamiliar streets near Denver, Colorado, where can they go for help? Since 2012, Sarah Jackson and her team of volunteers at Casa de Paz have welcomed them into her home and helped to reunite them with their families.

Winner of he Tom and Ginny Knoll Family Award at the Cleveland International Film Festival, winner of the Local Jury Award at Palm Springs Shortfest, winner of Best Short Film at the Frozen River Film Festival, winner of the Women in Film Award at Telluride Mountainfilm, winner of the People’s Choice Award - Compassionate Service at the Compassion Film Festival, Special Mention - Emerging Documentary at the March on Washington Film Festival, Honorable mention at the Pittsburgh Shorts Festival, winner of Best Short Documentary at Durango Film, winner of Best Short Documentary at the Boulder Film Festival, Featured by The Aspen Times on their "Ones to Watch" list.

TUNING THE STUDENT MIND (2015)

Director, Editor

The Tuning the Student Mind documentary follows the journey of three students enrolled in Beauregard’s course. In an intimate, 30-minute portrayal, viewers witness the impact of her innovative, first-of-its-kind curriculum. Through the subjects’ personal stories, moments in the classroom and nuanced interviews, the film illustrates how the Tuning the Student Mind approach creates not only good scholars, but also students who develop deep, self-reflective awareness and a sense of inner potential. As the narrative unfolds, we understand how Beauregard’s bold and unconventional approach to identity studies teaches students new methods of inquiry, pushing them to ignite their own creativity and imagination.

Social Impact Media Award nomination, In collaboration with UNESCO-APCEIU, Curated for Planet Classroom Network

BIG THINGS TO COME (2022)

Co-Editor

Directed by Nick Rosen and Peter Mortimer

Elite climber Alex Johnson has attempted to climb the iconic boulder The Swarm, California, for a decade. Not succeeding breaks her down into self-reflection where she finally accepts her sexuality.

Red Bull TV

Private films relevant to potential project partnerships may be available for screening upon request.

  • 2024 Adjunct Professor of Documentary Ethics and Ethnographic Media

    University of Colorado

  • 2023 Guest Speaker - Editing Workshop

    Western Colorado University

  • 2022 Panelist for a workshop on the Director/Editor Relationship

    American University

  • 2022 Guest Speaker - Compassion in Creative Storytelling Workshop

    College for Creative Studies

  • Upcoming: 2026 Adjunct Professor of Advanced Documentary

    University of Colorado

Jackson House Films is a documentary-centric video production company founded in 2011 by Chelsea and Rob Jackson and is based in Colorado. We specialize in human-centered storytelling, artful cinematography and editing, and navigating a wide variety of challenging, tender and tense production scenarios with a calm steady approach. Our professional documentary filmmaking services include directing, producing, cinematography, editing and story consulting. Each and every one of our film and video projects is a collaboration in the truest sense of the word. Please reach out if you’d like to work with a reliable, thoughtful, story-first production team.