Jacob Aaron Estes is an American director and screenwriter. Estes wrote and directed his feature debut, a short film called Summoning, in 2001. With 2004's Mean Creek, his second offering as writer-director, he gained critical acclaim, receiving nominations at various film festivals and winning the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award. That same year he wrote the screenplay for Rick Rosenthal's Nearing Grace, which he adapted from the Scott Sommer novel.