CV

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PROFILE

Ava Lowrey is an award-winning filmmaker and film instructor from Alabama. She created PeaceTakesCourage.com where millions have viewed her work. She has been featured in national media such as The New York Times, Rolling Stone Magazine, and CNN. Ava was awarded a Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar by New York University. She recently completed her master’s in Experimental and Documentary arts at Duke University. Ava has directed and produced numerous films including both documentaries and narrative productions and has edited multiple films.

EDUCATION

Duke University (2015)
MFA in Experimental and Documentary Arts

New York University (2013)
BFA in Film & Television, Minor in Sociology
Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar, Honors Scholar

SCREENINGS & EXHIBITIONS

Full Frame Theater April 23, 2015
The Carrack Modern Art March 30 – April 12, 2015
AMI Student Film Awards March 30, 2015
Black Warrior Film Festival February 14, 2015
Montgomery Film Festival January 30, 2015
Southern Screen Film Festival November 16, 2014
Cucalorus Film Festival November 13 – 14, 2014
Fairhope Film Festival November 8, 2014
Heartland Film Festival October 19 – 22, 2014
Sidewalk Film Festival August 23, 2014
Fusion Film Festival March 8, 2013
Sight & Sound Showcase February 17, 2011
NewFilmmakers Summer Series July 4, 2009
Democratic National Convention August 28, 2008

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Documentary and narrative film production
• Digital filmmaking and tech on cameras, audio, and lighting
• Proposal and grant writing for film
• Research and development for documentary film
• Fundraising and crowdfunding strategy
• Post-production workflow and editing with Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, and Avid Media Composer
• Audio documentary production and editing with ProTools and Hindenburg Journalist
• Analog filmmaking with 16mm film including shooting, developing, and digitizing
• Web development for film and media (both new and traditional)
• Documentary and nonfiction film history and criticism
• Critique of student work and ability to workshop both video and written work

SELECTED PRESS & AWARDS

Black Warrior Film Festival – Special Jury Award for Documentary Film, February 2015
Montgomery Film Festival – Audience Choice Award, January 2015
B-Metro Magazine – Best of Sidewalk Film Festival, August 2014
L’Actu, January 2014 – interview and profile
Fusion Film Festival – Best Documentary Pitch, Best Doc in the Works, March 8, 2013
Huffington Post Live – You’re Never Too Young to Change the World, January 22, 2013
AL.com, Birmingham News, January 16, 2013 – Fred: The Town Dog write-up and director interview
The Huffington Post, March 18, 2010 – “7 Young People Making a Difference”
US News and World Report, January 2010 – 2009 Young Leaders
Yes! Magazine, June 23, 2008 – interview feature
The Nation Magazine, June 15, 2008 – This Brave Nation Series
CNN, March 17, 2007 – “CNN Saturday Morning”
Nick News with Linda Ellerbee, November 2007 – “Rebels With a Cause”
MTV News, July 3, 2007 – “Teen Blogger-For-Peace: You Need To Know Me”
Chicago Tribune, Apr 4, 2007 – “Make Videos, Not War”
Mother Jones Magazine, March/April 2007 issue – “Are You There, George? It’s Me, Ava.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 27, 2007 – “Teen’s anti-war Web site draw 2 million a month”
The Mobile Press Register, January 28, 2007 – “Waging Peace”
Rolling Stone Magazine, January 2007 – “The Year’s Greatest Mavericks”, Yearbook 2006 edition
National Organization for Women 2007 Woman of Action Award
Featured Speaker at 2007 AFSCME National Leadership Conference
Rolling Stone Magazine, July 2006 – “Mixed Media” feature
CNN, June 18, 2006 – “Blog Buzz”
The New York Times, June 14, 2006 “Could a 15-Year-Old With a Laptop Be the New Campaign Media Guru?”
Featured Speaker, Netroots Nation Convention, June 2006
Fox News Radio, The Alan Colmes Radio Show, May 05, 2006
Progressive Magazine, April 24, 2006 – “Animation Producer Gets Ugly Slurs”

SYSTEMS AND SOFTWARE

Final Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere and Creative Suite, Pro Tools, Hindenburg Journalist, MS Office, HTML, CSS