I am a documentary filmmaker and journalist drawn to people whose lives challenge the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and the world around us. Through intimate, character-driven films, I explore moments of transformation, when someone begins to question the status quo or imagine a different way of living. I believe documentary filmmaking is an act of deep listening and that the stories we choose to tell and who we choose to center shape how we understand ourselves, our communities, and society.
I began my career as a journalist with PBS before directing for HBO and producing documentaries and investigative reporting for outlets including PBS and NBC. Along the way, I produced a Peabody Award-winning documentary film and was field producer on an Emmy Award-winning investigative series into deaths at the U.S.-Mexico border before directing the feature documentary Breaking Form, about pioneering choreographer Jane Comfort, which premiered at the Dance on Camera Festival at Film at Lincoln Center. I have also partnered with mission-driven organizations to create strategic storytelling that advances education and social impact.

In my teaching at St. Francis College, I encourage students to see filmmaking as both a craft and a way to engage with the world. Alongside learning about cameras, sound, lighting, editing, scripts, pre-production, and studio production, students will develop the confidence to build professional relationships and discover their own creative voice. Whether they pursue filmmaking, journalism, television, digital media, or something else entirely, I hope they leave my classes with the skills to tell compelling stories and innovate, as well as with a deeper appreciation for the responsibility and privilege that come with media making.

See Alexandra Nikolchev. CV