Aria Martinelli

Aria Martinelli is performing artist, writer, and emerging documentary artist from Brooklyn, New York whose work spans stage, page, and lens. She holds a BA. in theater with a minor in government and a concentration in journalism from Smith College. She is passionate about using art as a statement for social change. She has a deep love for cultures and languages which has influenced her desire and feeling of responsibility to dedicate herself to political and multicultural work. Her interest in documentary theater and passion for writing verbatim plays has naturally led her toward wanting to make documentary films. Aria enjoys asking unexpected, out-of-the-box questions that open up new perspectives and create space for people to tell their stories. She also has a strong visual eye and a particular interest in photography and capturing the small, in-between moments of everyday life. You can view some of her photography here: ariamartinelli.com/photography⁠ Her documentary work includes a collaboration with BYkids and Surviving Time and Circumstance, a short documentary series she co-created while at Smith College featuring Zoom interviews with people who identify as refugees. She hopes to continue developing the project and expanding its exploration of displacement, memory, identity, and belonging. For the past several years, Aria has also been developing The Small Town Project, a series of one-act plays chronicling life in small towns around the world. Each season explores the personalities, rhythms, and stories of a different tiny community. One play from the series, The Pink House, was presented at The Tank in New York City last Spring. Aria is now interested in creating a documentary film as a companion piece to The Small Town Project - same topic, different medium. Her hope is that the project will speak to the importance of preserving the charisma of places that are oftentimes just “driven through” and overlooked.