Sarah Whelden’s award-winning approach to cinematography always puts the story first. It starts with asking “why” before ever considering “how.”


Sarah’s award winning narrative portfolio spans six feature films and numerous short films that have premiered at prestigious festivals worldwide. Her film Tight is set to premiere at SXSW in March of ’24. Her most recent nomination was for the Jury Prize for Best Cinematography (2023) at the Dark Red Film Festival for Bury Your Fish. In the fall of ’23 she was invited to be a guest panelist and screen her short-form work, a collaboration with Fujifilm, at the renowned ASC Clubhouse.

Sarah was selected for the prestigious ASC Vision Mentorship in ’21, working under the tutelage of Polly Morgan, ASC, BSC. In ’23 she was among eight DP’s chosen for Netflix & WIF’s inaugural Cinematography Fellowship, which provides guidance from cinematographers Alison Kelly and Sandra Valde-Hansen, ASC.

She calls Los Angeles home and is on the roster at Neer Motion. She is also a proud member of the International Cinematographer’s Guild, Local 600.

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Narrative Work

As a trans and queer woman, Sarah has a special place in her heart for those in the shadows. She is drawn to narratives that highlight the often chaotic reality between humans and their surroundings, and to characters that are eager to find themselves but may not know where to start.


Commercial Work

Her commercial work aims to ground brands in reality. Whether it’s finding those impossible to re-create moments in between takes, or pulling out all the stops to create the reality we all long for, Sarah is always excited by the challenges of the day.


Equity

Sarah is a passionate advocate for equity in hiring across all levels of the film industry. Hiring folks from under-represented groups fosters a better community and brings needed perspectives to the table - a crucial component of creating great work. But equity doesn’t stop at hiring - it insists on building more collaborative workspaces that lift and provide a voice to everyone on set. Ego is not a part of that equation.

DP Sarah Whelden on set of the feature film "Screams from the Tower." She is operating an Arri Alexa Mini LF on a Chapman dolly with Cooke Panchro FF+ lenses.

Photo by Jon Runnfeldt

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