DOCUMENTARY FILM DIRECTOR
FILMS
ABOUT
I’m Elaine McMillion Sheldon, an Academy Award-nominated and Peabody and Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker. Much of my film work is rooted in Appalachia, where I’ve spent more than a decade capturing stories that reveal the resilience, complexity, and beauty of my home region. My work has been screened at top documentary film festivals, from Sundance to Telluride, and distributed by major film distribution companies such as Netflix and PBS. These films have sparked important conversations about the responsibility we have as filmmakers to tell nuanced, respectful stories.
Beyond filmmaking, I’m passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of storytellers. I’ve led filmmaking workshops and online film classes for students and aspiring documentarians, offering insights into how to make a documentary, from initial idea to distribution. I also enjoy sharing my journey as a female documentary filmmaker (and mother) and speaking at events about ethical storytelling, filmmaking for social change, and the art of telling stories that matter.
SPEAKING
I’m available for speaking engagements, panel discussions, post-screening Q&A sessions, and workshops. Whether it’s giving a keynote, mentoring, or leading a master class, I love sharing insights about my filmmaking journey and exploring the wonderful intracies of the cinematic arts, ethical storytelling, creativity, and issues impacting Appalachia and rural places. If you're looking for someone to engage with your audience or lead a workshop, I’d be happy to be a part of it. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to work together!
“In her masterclass, Elaine took care to address our students’ questions with specific details, illustrating her answers from her lived experience. We received overwhelmingly positive comments from audience members about her residency.”
“Elaine’s documentary workshop was our best attended offering of the year. She was so generous in sharing about her experiences working in the field. Her insights into her successes with funding projects, researching storylines, building rapport with subjects, and distributing her films were invaluable to our community.” ”
“The doors to the film world can feel tightly shut for outsiders like myself and Elaine blew that right open. As someone who is self-taught, Elaine’s doc course at Maine Media gave me a sense of stability - and confidence that I am moving in the right direction.”
“Elaine came to speak to Vox video’s team about how a documentary film comes together through directing. She was so generous with sharing her wisdom, and was able to describe such an intangible element of the craft through practical, on-the-ground experience. We so appreciated having access to her considerable storytelling chops, and the value her talk added to the team’s understanding was truly priceless.”
NEWS & UPDATES
Follow along where I share updates on my professional life, personal reflections on my filmmaking process, book notes from readings, reviews of films I love, updates on my own film projects like King Coal, and reflections on issues close to my heart. I explore the real-world stories and creative journeys that inspire my work, often with a focus on Appalachia and rural places. It's a space where I reflect on my experiences, challenges, and milestones, hoping to engage with readers on a deeper, more personal level.
