| Heather E. Connell | |
|---|---|
| Born | Massachusetts |
| Residence | Los Angeles, CA |
| Alma mater | Salem State University |
| Occupation | Film director |
| Notable works | Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children |
| Website | |
| http://www.displacedyankee.com | |
Heather E. Connell is an American film director. She is best known for directing the feature documentary Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children (2008).
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Heather Connell was born and raised in Massachusetts. She attended Salem State University where she studied screenwriting and theatre arts.[1]
In 2001, Connell relocated to Los Angeles where she founded Displaced Yankee Productions, an independent film company dedicated to using film as a platform for raising social awareness and activism through entertainment.[1]
Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Connell made the short film Choosing Your Course (2002).[2] A couple of years later she directed another short titled Black/White (2004).[3]
In 2008, Heather Connell wrote, directed and produced her first feature documentary Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children. Narrated by Connell's close friend, actress Megan Follows (well-known star of the Anne of Green Gables television series),[1] Small Voices documents the struggles of several street children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, many of whom live and work at the local garbage dump, on their journey to get an education.[4] The documentary won several awards including the 2009 Gold Medal Award at the New York International Film and Video Awards[5] and 2nd place Best Documentary at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in 2008.[6]
Along with being the Executive Producer and director of Displaced Yankee Productions,[7] Heather Connell is currently a board member for Community First Initiatives[8] and Lineage Dance Company, a contemporary dance company dedicated to raising support and awareness for nonprofit organizations and to making the arts accessible to audiences of all demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds.[9]
Shortly after filming Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children, Connell founded the Safe Haven School.[10] Safe Haven is a non-profit educational and therapeutic outreach program for disabled children in Siem Riep, Cambodia. Safe Haven's mission is to provide a safe environment for children with disabilities, allowing them the opportunity to have access to the educational and therapeutic resources that they need in order to reach their full potential and their highest level of personal independence.[11]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Choosing Your Course | Director/Writer/Producer | |
| 2004 | Black/White | Director/Writer/Producer | |
| 2008 | Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children | Director/Writer/Producer |
Gold Medal Award at the New York International Film and Video Awards(2009) |
| 2011 | Forget Us Not | Director/Writer/Producer |
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List of female film and television directors