- Web Links
- https://lisaleeman.com/
- Resume
- Download Resume
Lisa Michelle Leeman
(She/Her)
Producer & DirectorLoka Pala Productions
Lisa Leeman produces and directs feature and short documentaries. She is currently making Walk by Me, a follow up to her doc Metamorphosis, which won the Filmmakers Trophy at Sundance Film Festival in 1990
Full Bio
Lisa Leeman has been making award-winning documentary films for thirty-five years. Her current film, Walk by Me, profiles a transgender artist’s life over thirty-five years, a follow-up to her groundbreaking first documentary, Metamorphosis (Sundance Filmmakers Trophy; POV/PBS, 1990).
Her cinematic portraits, shot over many years, illuminate contemporary social issues through intimate character-driven stories that follow people at critical turning points in their lives.
Roger Ebert cited Leeman’s ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT as one of the best documentaries of 2011. Other acclaimed films include Out of Faith, Who Needs Sleep (with Haskell Wexler), Awake, and Crazy Wisdom.
Lisa’s films are supported by Sundance, Catapult, the Producers Guild, AFI, NEA, and California Humanities. A member of the Motion Picture Academy and a tenured professor at University of Southern California, she also writes articles about the ethics and craft of documentary filmmaking.
Her cinematic portraits, shot over many years, illuminate contemporary social issues through intimate character-driven stories that follow people at critical turning points in their lives.
Roger Ebert cited Leeman’s ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT as one of the best documentaries of 2011. Other acclaimed films include Out of Faith, Who Needs Sleep (with Haskell Wexler), Awake, and Crazy Wisdom.
Lisa’s films are supported by Sundance, Catapult, the Producers Guild, AFI, NEA, and California Humanities. A member of the Motion Picture Academy and a tenured professor at University of Southern California, she also writes articles about the ethics and craft of documentary filmmaking.
- Professional Credits
- Lisa Leeman has been making award-winning documentary films for thirty-five years. Her current film, Walk by Me, profiles a transgender artist’s life over thirty-five years, a follow-up to her groundbreaking first documentary, Metamorphosis (Sundance Filmmakers Trophy; POV/PBS, 1990).
Her cinematic portraits, shot over many years, illuminate contemporary social issues through intimate character-driven stories that follow people at critical turning points in their lives.
Roger Ebert cited Leeman’s ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT as one of the best documentaries of 2011. Other acclaimed films include Out of Faith, Who Needs Sleep (with Haskell Wexler), Awake, and Crazy Wisdom.
Lisa’s films are supported by Sundance, Catapult, the Producers Guild, AFI, NEA, and California Humanities. A member of the Motion Picture Academy and a tenured professor at University of Southern California, she also writes articles about the ethics and craft of documentary filmmaking.
- Industry Awards
- Filmmakers Trophy, Sundance 1990
2015-2025 - grants from Sundance, Catapult, USC
2024-2025 Residencies: MacDowell, Yaddo, Bogliasco
