“My mission as a filmmaker is to remind people that they aren’t alone, and that someone understands what they’ve been through. To shine a light on the important stories our society likes to keep in the dark. To give people a chance to express themselves and share their experiences in a safe space. And to show other QBIPOC folks like me that their perspectives matter, in front of and behind the camera.”
Sarah Elisa Perez (she/her)
Sarah Perez is a queer, Cuban-Filipina filmmaker with over six years of experience producing documentary and narrative films that uplift underrepresented communities. She loves visual storytelling for its power to cultivate empathy and understanding between people of all backgrounds.
For the past three years, Sarah has primarily produced award-winning films for nonprofit organizations across the globe through her work at ZP Productions. Her trauma-informed approach to storytelling has helped organizations such as Francis Parker School and the Maurice Lucas Foundation exceed their fundraising goals, raising millions of dollars for their causes. While Sarah’s main focus is documentary storytelling, she has also independently produced fully crowd- and grant-funded narrative short films, commercials, and an episodic pilot.
When she’s off the clock, you’ll probably still find Sarah with a camera in her hands—often her Canonet 35mm film camera. She brings it along on her hiking, biking, paddleboarding, and camping adventures.