Patricia "Trish" Adlesic is an American documentary film director and producer. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards.

Early life

Adlesic was born in Pittsburgh, the youngest of six children of Mary and Joseph Adlesic; her mother was a nurse and her father worked in education. She is of Irish and Slovenian descent. She graduated from Shaler Area High School and attended Hunter College, majoring in communications and psychology with a minor in music theory.

Career

She worked as a location manager on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, where she met actress Mariska Hargitay. When Hargitay wanted to make a documentary about the American rape kit backlog, she asked Adlesic to co-direct. The documentary, titled I Am Evidence, was released in 2017. The following year, Adlesic had been visiting her father in Pittsburgh when the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting occurred. After the shooting, she moved back to Pittsburgh and spent the next three years directing and co-producing A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting. In 2025, she collaborated once again with Mariska Hargitay, producing Hargitay's feature directorial debut film My Mom Jayne, which premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival.

Filmography

As director and producer

YearTitleDirectorProducerNotesRef.
2010GaslandNoYes
2013Gasland Part IINoYes
2017I Am EvidenceYesNo
2022A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue ShootingYesYes
Pay or DieNoExecutive
2023The ABCs of Book BanningYesYesShort film
2025My Mom JayneNoYes
Nuns vs. The VaticanNoExecutive

Other credits

Film

YearTitleNotesRef.
1993Household SaintsPost-production supervisor
1995The Basketball DiariesAssistant location manager
1996Night Falls on ManhattanAssistant location manager
1997Gold in the StreetsLocation manager
As Good as It GetsAssistant location manager
1998Black DogLocation manager
My Husband's Secret LifeLocation manager
Meet Joe BlackAssistant location manager
1999The InsiderLocation manager
2000Finding ForresterLocation manager
Looking for an EchoProduction supervisor
2002In AmericaProduction supervisor
2005Get Rich or Die Tryin'Production supervisor
2007Dinosaurs Alive!Unit production manager

Television

YearTitleNotesRef.
1990–1993Law & OrderLocation coordinator
1994–1995The Cosby MysteriesLocation manager
1999–2014Law & Order: Special Victims UnitLocation manager

Awards and nominations

AwardYearCategoryNominated workResultRef.
Academy Awards2011Best Documentary Feature FilmGaslandNominated
2024Best Documentary Short FilmThe ABCs of Book BanningNominated
Cinema Eye Honors2019Outstanding Achievement in a Nonfiction Film for BroadcastI Am EvidenceNominated
Cleveland International Film Festival2018ReelWomenDirect Award for Excellence in Directing by a WomanNominated
Local Heroes CompetitionNominated
Hamptons International Film Festival2017Victor Rabinowitz and Joanne Grant Award for Social JusticeWon
News and Documentary Emmy Awards2014Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: ResearchGasland Part IINominated
2019Best DocumentaryI Am EvidenceWon
Outstanding Investigative DocumentaryNominated
Primetime Emmy Awards2011Exceptional Merit in Documentary FilmmakingGaslandNominated
Producers Guild of America Awards2026Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion PicturesMy Mom JayneWon
Provincetown International Film Festival2017Audience Award for Best DocumentaryI Am EvidenceWon
Traverse City Film Festival2017Best Documentary FilmWon
Windsor International Film Festival2017Women of WIFFWon

External links