Jessica Lee Gagné

Jessica Lee Gagné is a Canadian cinematographer and director. She is best known for her work on the films Despite the Night (Malgré la nuit) and Daddy as well as the TV shows Escape at Dannemora and Severance, the latter of which garnered her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (One Hour).

Early life Jessica Lee Gagné was born in Quebec City, where her early exposure to cinema came from her father, who owned a video store. She grew up surrounded by VHS tapes, often watching films before and after school. Having an interest in foreign films, her mother familiarized her with European cinema. She later studied cinema at François-Xavier-Garneau College in Quebec City before pursuing a BFA in Film Production at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema at Concordia University in Montreal from 2009 to 2011. Her time at Concordia as well as filmmakers like Gordon Willis and Canadian cinematographer Sara Mishara reinforced her interest in cinematography. Her collaboration with Stiller continued with the TV series Severance (2022), which earned her recognition for creating a unique visual style. She made her directing debut with the Severance Season 2 episode "Chikhai Bardo," which was partially filmed in the house in which she was living during filming.

As a female director of photography in a male-dominated industry, Gagné has openly discussed the challenges she has faced, especially when working outside of Montreal. She believes it is important to break stereotypes about what roles women can play in the film industry, and her work as a director of photography has gained her respect in a field where women remain underrepresented.

In 2025, for her work on Severance, she became the first woman to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (One Hour); her Emmy nominations that year made her the first woman to be nominated for Emmys in the categories of cinematography and directing for the same drama series in the same year.

Filmography

Films

Short films

Television

Awards