MADE IN TEXAS. OUTSIDE THE SYSTEM.
Josh David Jordan writes and directs under Wild West Filmmaking, working out of Dallas, Texas, a visual language shaped by European art cinema, patient pacing, and stories about people living just outside the mainstream. He started out in front of the camera, appearing in several feature films and a memorable episode of Scrubs, before moving behind the lens to direct music videos for The Polyphonic Spree, Rhett Miller of the Old 97's, and Joshua Ray Walker.
His first feature, This World Won't Break, was self-financed for $36,000 and took home the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Dallas International Film Festival before going on to win over a dozen additional festival awards and land distribution on Amazon Prime and other major platforms.
His most recent feature, El Tonto Por Cristo, follows a brotherhood of monks at a remote monastery on the Texas coast, a film critics have placed in the company of Tarkovsky, Bergman, and Dreyer for its unhurried, meditative style. In February 2026, the Kennedy Center invited El Tonto Por Cristo to open its Films Across Faith Traditions series in Washington, D.C. - a rare national stage for work made entirely outside the studio system. The screening was followed by a director's panel with Jordan and executive producer Jonathan Pageau.
Jordan's work has been featured twice in Rolling Stone, and he directed Joshua Ray Walker's live television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He keeps it a family affair — his wife, Jessica, drives the grassroots production and marketing; and his sons handle everything from editing to shooting the behind-the-scenes video and photos that help build the press.
work with Josh
Commercial and brand work
Feature-craft storytelling for brand and commercial projects. Backed by Stetson, Tecovas, Topo Chico, and Lonestar Beer.
Representation
Two acclaimed features, national press, and a Kennedy Center premiere alongside talk of Tarkovsky and Bergman. Open to conversations with reps.
Speaking and panels
On building a distinct visual language outside the studio system, faith and film, and the road from the Texas Theatre to the Kennedy Center.
THE NEXT PICTURE IS ALREADY MOVING
Wild West Filmmaking is building its next slate of films with the same grit that carried the first ones across the finish line. Written and directed by Josh David Jordan. Produced by Jessica Jordan.