Ariel Tilson

Ariel Tilson (she/her) is a freelance documentary filmmaker and impact producer devoted to transformative storytelling through participant-driven narratives. Splitting her time between Minnesota and New York, her projects range from Emmy-nominated feature-length documentaries for broadcast through PBS, to nationally distributed digital video content. Her work has been featured at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis as part of their Women With Vision series, and screened in international film festivals including Shorts on Tap and the Hill Country Film Festival. In partnership with nonprofits and community partners, she leads workshops on documentary impact and producing, and has presented on storytelling equity panels at the Media Technology & Gender Equality Conference and The Forum on Workplace Inclusion, among others. Her documentary work has been supported by the International Documentary Association’s Pare Lorentz Documentary fund, the Minnesota State Arts Board’s Artist Initiative grant, and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council’s Next Step Fund. She earned her graduate degree in Media Studies from The New School in New York City and received her undergraduate degree in Journalism and International Studies at The University of Kansas.