Empowering the World's Documentarians

Jordan Halland

Director / Cinematographer

New York, NY US

Available for Full Time

Available for Freelance

Open To Mentoring

Open To Virtual Coffee

About

Jordan Halland has carved a distinctive path in the world of filmmaking with his intimate approach to storytelling. Beginning his journey directing adventure films, Jordan’s vision transcends the mere portrayal of sports, delving deep into the human psyche to unveil the profound narratives that lie beneath the surface. His films illuminate the internal struggles, fears, and triumphs of elite athletes, capturing the essence of the human spirit in its most vulnerable moments. With a portfolio adorned by emotionally stunning documentaries, Jordan’s work has graced prestigious platforms such as Mountainfilm, Banff, Outside Magazine, and Vice, earning accolades and recognition along the way. His creations have enjoyed notable festival runs and earned him two coveted Vimeo Staff Picks, a testament to his ability to craft stories that resonate deeply with audiences. While Jordan is adept at navigating large-scale productions, his reputation flourishes from his skill in capturing powerful narratives with a small footprint. His expertise shines through in his body of music videos, where he collaborates with acclaimed artists like Damien Jurado, Phosphorescent, Typhoon, and River Whyless, infusing each visual with a distinct blend of emotion and authenticity. Embracing the evolution of his craft, Jordan takes a bold step into narrative storytelling with his latest venture, “Heal” - a gripping short film exploring the lengths one will go to protect those they love. With each project, Jordan invites audiences on a transformative journey, unveiling the intricacies of the human experience with unparalleled depth and resonance.

Featured Work

StrongWater: Surfing in Montana

Vimeo Staff Pick. Across the U.S. River surfing communities are popping up. This is due, in part, to cities cleaning and reclaiming their river waterfronts. Years ago Missoula, Montana clean its river and cleared the way for Montana's first surf community. KB and Luke sit at the helm of this community and the future of the sport.

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Shaving For Beginners

Vimeo Staff Pick. Ty Moore has been a Marine longer than he hasn’t. After 5 deployments he has seen his fair share of trauma in the theatre of war. Ty was trained to handle trauma. By his own account he isn’t afraid of anything. That is until the trauma was in Ty’s own home. Jenn, his wife, was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma, a very aggressive cancer in her ribs. Like they have done throughout their marriage they persevered. They both thought this would be the worst thing their family ever went through, they were wrong. Shaving for Beginners is the story of Ty, a father, a Marine, and a husband, as he takes his brokenness from situations outside his control and creates hope for him, his family, and his fellow servicemen and women.

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They are Us

During their seven years of marriage, Sunny and Arooj have spent just six months together. That’s because when the couple fled death threats in their native Pakistan, Sunny ended up in Sri Lanka while Arooj made it to Spokane, Washington. Now they wait in international legal limbo while the Trump administration continues to slash the numbers of refugees the U.S. allows in each year. What many fail to realize is that Sunny and Arooj are just the latest in a long tradition of refugees fleeing danger and hardship to start over in the U.S. — from pilgrims fleeing religious persecution to the Irish running from famine and Jews escaping Nazi Europe. They are us.

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Rusty's Ascent

For as long as he can remember, Robert “Rusty” Bailey knew he would one day climb Mount Everest. Rusty grew on the rocks and taught himself everything he could about big-wall climbing. Along the way he racked up so many first ascents that he lost count. Summiting Mount Everest seemed inevitable. Which is why in 1982 when he was asked to be a part of the first Canadian team to attempt the peak he jumped at the opportunity. Rusty's Ascent is the culmination of a number of conversations that filmmaker Jordan Halland had with Rusty over the years. It is a meditation on the adventurers remorse, the guilt anyone who makes a career in risking their life feels when they pursue their dream at the expense of their family. Rusty's Ascent does not attempt to answer the question but highlight an individuals story of wrestling with this often undiscussed internal struggle.

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