I’m a filmmaker, photographer, and artist working primarily in documentary film.
As a producer, director, and video journalist, I’ve worked on films around the world, with experience spanning editorial and branded-content projects. I’ve collaborated with newsrooms, non-profits, education institutions, corporate companies, and community organizations. Currently, as an Associate Producer at Arch + Bow Films, I support critically acclaimed nonfiction films with bold, artistic vision that center equity, care, and justice. Credits with Arch + Bow include THE OFFICIALS (Time Studios) and RICHLAND (Apple TV+).
My personal film work explores diaspora, memory, and representation, often with a focus on Jewish identity. My documentary short, about the preservation of the Ladino language, SONGS OF THE SEPHARDIM IN IZMIR, has screened at multiple festivals. I’m currently working on a new experimental short film, KARPUS, about my family’s Sephardic history and I’m producing my first documentary feature, A PERMANENT DREAM. I’m also returning to my photography practice to find new ways of working with multimedia and archives.
I transitioned into video and film after studying at The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies at the Maine College of Art & Design following past work lives in sustainable agriculture, community development, and recruiting. I’m a believer in winding paths and all these experiences inform my process and storytelling.
Outside of my work, I continually look for ways to deepen my connection to land, community, and art. I now live in Providence, RI, with my partner, Reuben, and our pup, Franny. I’m often in Maine and New York — the other places I call home.
Member of: The Documentary Producers Alliance and The Video Consortium.
Email brookesaias [at] gmail [dot] com to connect and collaborate!