Kirsten Whatley

Kirsten Whatley is a Hawaii-based filmmaker and editor, specializing in documentary, nature, and dance films. A lifelong dancer herself, she brings a lyrical style to her film work, using light, texture, and sound to give viewers an immersive, sensory film experience. // She most recently completed the writing and editing of a short documentary for Toronto director and photographer Ann Leese. HOW’S YOUR MOM chronicles one woman’s inspiring way of relating to a loved one with Alzheimer’s. The film was an award nominee at the Yorkton Film Festival (Canada) 2023 and a semi-finalist for the Lunenburg Doc Fest (Canada) 2023. // Kirsten’s own nature-based short films have screened at the Maui Film Festival (2021) and the Canada-based Social Distancing Festival (2020). She's also edited dance performance films for Dancing Camera in New York. Before film, Kirsten worked as an award-winning nonfiction writer, book author, book editor, and photographer on primarily environmental and cultural subjects.