About Me
Inspire. Empower. Educate. If I can accomplish one of these things with filmmaking, I will have succeeded.
I’m Hannah West. I’m a filmmaker from Indiana located in Indianapolis.
I work with clients to create video content that represents their brand, business, and who they are as people. Although I love all things video production, I have a special affection for documentary film. I’ve been lucky enough to have my films featured in festivals across the United States. At the end of the day, I’m a storyteller. Everyone has a story to be told. I’m making it my mission to tell those stories.
Some Background
I went to college at IUPUI (Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis) studying at the School of Informatics and Computing. I received my B.S. of Media Arts and Science with an emphasis in Video and Audio production in 2018. As a student, I worked as a Media Production Assistant for the School of Informatics and Computing. It was here I started learning about creating promotional content and how to honor a brand. IUPUI was also where I discovered my love for documentary film.
In 2017, I was lucky enough to have my documentary film, Not In Vain, screened at the International Heartland Film Festival. The film centers around families affected by the opioid epidemic in Indiana. Not In Vain was also screened at the 2018 Hancock County Health Board dinner, I was featured as a speaker to discuss what I had learned about the epidemic during the filmmaking process. Not In Vain was also screened at the 2018 Indiana Public Health Conference in Indianapolis where I was again featured as a speaker. I was so touched by the reaction to Not In Vain. People were able to connect with something I made and gain a better understanding of a terrible issue because of it. After seeing how a film could affect hearts and minds, I knew it was something I wanted to do again, and again… and again.
Which is why in 2018 I finished my film, Reversal. Reversal is a film that focuses on a local Indiana MMA fighter who uses martial arts to recover from his own struggles with addiction. I knew that many people would see themselves reflected in this film, so I was thrilled when this film found it’s audience. So far, Reversal has screened at Heartland’s International Indy Shorts Festival, the Orlando Film Festival, as well as the YoFi Festival.
I currently work at Complexly as a producer, director, and editor. In this position, I create free and accessible educational content for all ages. You can see my work featured on the Ours Poetica channel.
“Everyone has a story to be told. I’m making it my mission to tell those stories.”
Hannah West
Demo Reel
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