Media Producer
Sarah began her career in media production following her experience as a Fulbright ETA in Colombia, after which she was invited to participate in an Alumni Thematic International Exchange Seminar on inclusive education from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It was there that she first incubated the idea to combine digital storytelling with teacher training. Since 2017, she has produced over a dozen original videos via federally funded grant projects in Africa, South America, Asia, and across the U.S.
Grant-Supported Digital Storytelling & Teacher Training
"Dialogue and Difference" (2020–Present) in partnership with Hand2Mouth Theatre (Namibia, Peru, Georgia, Ethiopia/African Union, Indonesia); “World Alumni LINK!” (Virtual) — supported by U.S. Embassy and U.S. Department of State grants.
“Mi Voz, Nuestra Historia” (Colombia, 2017–2018): Documentary on 3 Afro-Colombian activists’ experience during the country's 60+ year armed conflict. Included workshops with the film protagonists as well as 150+ pre-service teachers. Recipient of the U.S. Alumni TIES grant, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
“Mau Yatu Nkani Yanga” (Zambia, 2020–2022): Original short film, complemented with local trainings on teen sexual & reproductive health for 25+ teachers to train parents & school communities. Featured on Zambian radio, TV & newspapers; sparked creation of a weekly radio show on reducing gender-based violence. Recipient of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange Grant from U.S. Department of State.
“Inclusion Works” (Nigeria, 2022): Documentary and initiative, in collaboration with Mandela Washington Fellow Racheal Inegbedion, that advocates for increasing inclusion of people with disabilities into the Nigerian workforce. The Mandela Washington Fellowship hybrid Reciprocal Exchange grant project sponsored the creation of this short film as well as a convening and training led for high-impact employers and people with visual disabilities in Lagos, both of which were featured by the U.S. Consulate in Nigeria. Second-time recipient of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange Grant from U.S. Department of State.
I Walk Among You (USA, 2018)
Executive Producer of a short film featuring a Navajo medicine man & educator in Canyon de Chelly (AZ). Created during Santa Fe Art Institute Thematic Residency on Truth and Reconciliation. Exhibited at Memphis’ Crosstown Arts “Homeward Bound” installation in Winter 2018-2019.
The Bamana Blues (Mali, 2019–2020)
Executive Producer for a documentary about Bolon Star, a music group in Bamako, Mali. A story of music, brotherhood and survival in a country at war.
The In[HEIR]itance Project (USA, 2019)
Producer for the documentation of community-based devising theater process that brought resettled refugees together with locals to create original performances in Omaha, NE.
Smile Little Ladybug
Short documentary about Andrea Zoppo, a professional clown in the American South whose family legacy—her mother was a clown and grandfather, a Holocaust survivor—influences her to use clowning to make the world a better place.
Official selection:
Cucalorus Film Festival 2021 (Wilmington, NC)
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival 2022 (Atlanta, GA)
Filmfort Treefort Music Festival 2022 (Boise, ID)
Maryland Film Festival 2022 (Baltimore, MD)
RiverRun Film Festival 2022 (Winston-Salem, NC)
Uptilt (formerly Cinema Sister) 2022 (Wilmington, NC)
Winner, Best Short Documentary, Atlanta Children's Film Festival 2022 (Atlanta, GA)
Footcandle Film Festival 2022 (Hickory, NC)
Sidewalk Film Festival 2022 (Birmingham, AL)
Macon Film Festival 2022 (Macon, GA)