Sarah Ema Friedland

Biography

Sarah Friedland's documentary films and installations are concerned with personal stories that reveal larger histories and intricacies about place and society. Friedland's works with Esy Casey have screened widely in the US and abroad and have been supported by grants including the Jerome Foundation, the Paul Newman Foundation, The Princess Grace Foundation, the Ford Foundation Just Films, and the Center for Asian American Media. In 2009, after the debut of her feature documentary Thing With No Name, she was named one of the "Top 10 Independent Filmmakers to Watch" by the Independent Magazine. She is a recipient of the 2014 Paul Robeson award from the Newark Museum for her feature documentary The Rink, which aired on PBS (WNET/NJTV) in 2017. Her recent documentary Jeepney (directed by Esy Casey produced by Esy Casey and Sarah Friedland) was broadcast on PBS (World Channel) in 2015. She has received residencies and fellowships from the Center of Contemporary Art in Pont- Aven, the LABA House of Study, the MacDowell Colony, The Palestinian American Research Center, and Meerkat Media. Friedland is the Director of the MDOCS Documentary Storyteller's Institute at Skidmore College.