Sat June 08 - 1:00 PM
Making the Cut: Lessons for Emerging Editors
Free Talks
| 60 MINUTESEditors are the ultimate puzzle-solvers of filmmaking, turning hours of footage into polished and compelling stories we see on screen. But what really happens in the edit suite between cuts? From navigating the industry to honing their craft, this brilliant panel of established editors share practical tips, insightful advice, and firsthand accounts of the challenges, successes, and experiences that have shaped their careers. Panelists, all presenting films in this year’s program, include Christina Sun Kim (New Wave), Kristina Motwani (1-800-On-Her-Own), Nesa Azimi (DRIVER), Siyi Chen (Made In Ethiopia). Moderated by M. Watanabe Milmore (Satisfied). Co-hosted by Brown Girls Doc Mafia (BGDM) and American Cinema Editors (ACE).
Panelist: Kristina Motwani, Nesa Azimi, Siyi Chen, Christina Sun Kim
Moderator: M. Watanabe Milmore
Panelists
Christina Sun Kim
Christina Sun Kim is a Korean-American film editor based in Los Angeles. She edited Tattooed Under Fire, Land of My Father, Liquor Store Dreams (Tribeca 2022), New Wave (Tribeca 2024), and was the 10th Karen Schmeer Film Editing fellow. She received an MFA from UCLA and has also produced and edited social justice content for the California Endowment. Christina is currently immersed in an exciting project: an undisclosed K-pop documentary, in collaboration with co-directors Grace Lee and Patty Ahn and lead editor Aldo Velasco. She deeply values this opportunity to work alongside seasoned filmmakers, allowing her to continue learning and growing in her craft and acquire the skill sets of a good collaborator.
Kristina Motwani
Kristina Motwani is an award-winning film editor, producer, writer, and story consultant working in San Francisco. With 1-800-ON-HER-OWN (2024), Homeroom (2021), Home is a Hotel (2023), Fruits of Labor (2021), First Vote (2020), Midnight Traveler (2019) and After Tiller (2013) Motwani's verité documentary style strives to give intimate portraits of real people. These films were honored with Peabody, Emmy and festival awards. Other personal recognitions include the 2021 Sundance Jonathan Oppenheim Edit Award, 2021 IFF Boston Karen Schmeer Excellence in Documentary Editing, 2024 Sundance Adobe Mentorship Award winner for nonfiction, 2023 Karen Schmeer Fellowship mentor, 2019 DOCNYC 40 under 40 honoree, 2018 SFFilm FilmHouse Resident and a 2017 BAVC National MediaMaker Fellow. Her work has screened at the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca, SXSW, SFFilm festival and has been seen on PBS, Netflix, Hulu and the World Channel.
Nesa Azimi
Nesa is a director, producer and editor living in New York City. She started out at The Maysles Documentary Center and has since been on staff as a producer for Rain Media, PBS FRONTLINE, FAULT LINES on Al Jazeera, National Geographic, and the Ciné Institute of Haiti. Three films she helped produce for FRONTLINE were recognized with Emmy Awards. Nesa is a former fellow with the Sundance Institute, NYSCA/NYFA, the Firelight Documentary Lab, and the Points North Institute. DRIVER is her first feature film.
Siyi Chen
Siyi Chen is a documentary director and editor based in New York City. She holds two BAs in World History and Chinese Literature from Peking University and a MA in News and Documentary from New York University. As a director, Siyi‘s feature documentary debut Dear Mother, I Meant to Write about Death (2022) was supported by Chicken & Egg pictures, SFFILM, IDFA Bertha Fund, among others. It premiered at Busan International Film Festival and received a special mention for the Mercenat Award. It’s also selected for International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and was nominated for the Best First Feature award. As an editor, Siyi has worked on independent documentaries that went to festivals like CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, Sheffield and had international theatrical distributions. The latest feature film she worked on as an editor Made in Ethiopia is world premiering at Tribeca Film Festival 2024. Inspired by her cross-cultural background, Siyi is dedicated to telling stories that explore themes like migration, identity and family dynamics, with a special focus on creating lyrical and poetic portraits of women in the diaspora.her first feature film.
M. Watanabe Milmore
Emmy Award winning editor, M. Watanabe Milmore, ACE began her career in documentaries working as an assistant editor at Maysles Films in 1991.
She has edited films which premiered at Sundance Film Festival such as REBUILDING PARADISE directed by Ron Howard, METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER (Independent Spirt award) and PARADISE LOST: CHILD MURDERS AT ROBIN HOOD HILLS (Peabody award) directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, and SUITED directed by Jason Benjamin.
Her other feature documentary work includes PARTLY PRIVATE directed by Danae Elon (Tribeca Film Festival - Best NY Documentary Feature), DOUBLETIME directed by Stephanie Johnes (Best Documentary - Heartland International Film Festival and Seattle International Film Festival), THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH AUNT DIANE(HBO) directed by Liz Garbus, LIFT directed by David Petersen (TFF2022), NURSERY UNIVERSITY(Showtime) directed by Marc Simon and Matt Makar, PARADISE LOST II: REVELATIONS(HBO) directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, THE VIRTUAL CORPSE(HBO), GRAY MATTER(HBO) directed by Joe Berlinger, UNCHARTED(TBFF2023), and SATISFIED(TFF2024). She is also currently a mentor for KSFEF 2022-2024.
In addition she has edited many nonfiction programs and series including THE INNOCENCE FILES (Netflix) and DOGS (Netflix) directed by Roger Ross Williams, THE HILL (Sundance) directed by Ivy Meeropol, REMEMBERING MARSHALL: Thirty Years Later (ESPN) directed by Lillibet Foster, ICONOCLASTS (Sundance) and THE ROLLING STONE STATE OF THE UNION (ABC) directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, and docs-series BOSTON 24/, BOSTON MED (CINE Special Jury Award), HOOKING UP and NY MED (CINE Special Jury Award) for ABC.
She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and American Cinema Editors.
* Rush Tickets available at venue except for
Beacon Theatre
Beacon Theatre
Rush will be offered when advanced tickets for a screening or event are no longer available at venues
other than Beacon Theatre.
The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.
The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.
Presented in Partnership with:
Co-hosted by:
