KING COAL (2023)
I was an associate producer and assistant cameraperson on King Coal, a hybrid documentary directed by Elaine McMillion Sheldon. It premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
A cinematic journey through the past, present and future of Appalachia, King Coal documents coal’s cultural influence on identity, while telling a magically real tale of a girl who glimpses into a future beyond coal, observing the pain and beauty of a community on the brink of change. Watch the trailer here.
RECLAIMING (2024)
Reclaiming is a short film that documents oral histories of sexual & reproductive wellness traditions rooted in Appalachian Ohio. I co-directed/produced, shot and edited this 30min. documentary alongside filmmaker Talcon Quinn, with support from United Plant Savers. Reclaiming was funded by the Mid Atlantic Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Winner of the 2024 Jack Spadaro Documentary Award shorts category.
WV Public Broadcasting
I direct, shoot and produce short documentaries for WV Public Broadcasting’s Folkways Project. I’ve made videos about fur trappers in West Virginia, visually impaired folks who cane antique chairs and maple syrup producers who are adapting to a warming climate.
WV Public Broadcasting: Between The Worlds: A Lost Bird In Appalachia (2022)
This short film documents the story of Lena Welker, an indigenous woman adopted by a white family as part of the "Indian Adoption Project,” a federal program that began in the late 1950s. Throughout the nearly decade-long initiative, hundreds of native children were removed from their communities and placed with white families. The children were called “lost birds.” Lena Welker, now 66, was one of them. I directed and shot the 8 minute film for West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Smithsonian center for folklife and cultural Heritage: WoMEN AND GINSENG (2021)
I shot and co-produced three short films that highlight women in Appalachia and their unique relationships to American Ginseng. The films screened at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Boone Docs Film Festival, MayFly Film Festival and were awarded “Runner Up for Best Short” at the 2022 International Herb Symposium Film & Photography Festival.
Virginia public Media: Out of a wheelchair, into a kayak (2021)
I directed, shot and produced this short film for Virginia Public Media. It’s about an adaptive kayaker advocating for greater accessibility in the outdoors.
Awarded Honorable Mention in the 2022 Virginia Environmental Film Contest.
Skillshare: Painting Nature with Watercolor & Gouache: Create Mixed Media Art (2021)
Nature illustrator Rosalie Haizlett (my sister!) has traveled all over the world with her sketchbook, documenting the unique creatures and landscapes that she encounters. I shot and edited this 49min class where Rosalie teaches students how to combine mediums to create mixed media nature art.