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INSPIRE. ENGAGE. ENTERTAIN.

CHANGE THE WORLD.

Isabel Sadurni is a Motion Picture Editor, Producer and Writer with over 20 years experience in filmmaking. She collaborates on feature films, shorts and series with independent and commercial filmmakers who share the belief  that a story told well can change the world. Her work as an editor includes award winning feature-length documentaries and short narratives that have played in top-tier festivals and on HBO, PBS and The Discovery Channel. Her focus is in working on films that are vehicles for change for people, for communities and for the planet. She's especially supportive of cultivating diverse perspectives and fearless creativity. With every project, her goal is to inspire and empower, to think about challenges, issues, and shared goals, and build a strong emotional connection to a specific audience that will lift the material to its highest potential  And she's ambitious enough to think that together, we can shatter expectations and change thinking through stories in every medium.

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NOW SHOWING

TAKE CARE OF MAYA

Isabel Sadurni: Finishing Editor

Feature Documentary, Distributor: Netflix, Executive Producers: Liz Garbus, Dan Cogan , Kate Barry | Story Syndicate, Producers: Caitlin Keating | Wisefool Films

Ranked #3 in the world upon its debut, TAKE CARE OF MAYA tells the story of 10-year-old Maya Kowalski who when she was admitted to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in 2016, nothing could have prepared her or her family for what they were about to go through. As the medical team tried to understand her rare illness, they began to question the basic truths that bound the Kowalskis together. Suddenly, Maya was in state custody – despite two parents who were desperate to bring their daughter home. The story of the Kowalski family – as told in their own words – is an expose of the U.S. children’s healthcare system and its impact on real families.

WHAT I DID

Three weeks before delivery, I was hired to work side-by-side with the director, Henry Roosevelt and Producer, Caitlin Keating to clarify a pivotal scene explaining exactly how and why the central characters could take on the Goliath of Johns Hopkins University. After buying a a little more time from Netflix, we also worked through an ending sequence that sharpened “the fight” of the looming court battle and what the Kowalskis case represented to the many, many families across the nation who have experienced similar accusations.

“. . . .an unmistakably moving documentary that shines a light on an apparently mostly unrecognized problem with the U.S. healthcare system.”
— John Serba, Decider
“. . .absorbing and challenging”
— Noel Murray, os Angeles Times
“. . .heartbreaking and infuriating”
— Kate Erbland, Indiewire
“. . .deeply affecting. . .”
— Stephanie Archer, Film Inquiry

WHAT SHE SAID: THE ART OF PAULINE KAEL

Isabel Sadurni: Additional Editor

Director/Producer/Editor, Rob Garver, 95 mins., U.S.A., Juno Releasing, Telluride Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival + over 40 festivals worldwide, 2019

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. . . a pure uncut hit of the tastiest cinephile candy imaginable . . . an exquisitely crafted documentary about the woman who was arguably the greatest movie critic who ever lived . . . WHAT SHE SAID plays like a kaleidoscope of Kael’s criticism and film history that’s fully in touch with the devil-may-care imperiousness of her personality. . . the film captures the unique intersection of a fearless critic, a movie renaissance and a time when a mainstream writer could seduce and challenge her audience by operating with supreme freedom

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, Berlin Film Festival, 2019

. . . Adamantly engaging . . . an absorbing doc

— Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter

Above all a celebration of the pleasure of intellectual and emotional response to art and a picture of a style of thinking that might be seen as distinctively but non-stereotypically female

—Jonathan Romney, Screen International

. . . A richly compelling work, one that makes you yearn to watch more films and to understand why we need them. . WHAT SHE SAID paints a vivid picture of the landscape Kale savored and shaped. . . . and.offers a feature-length look at the astonishing influence Kael had on the world. . .an impressive, exhaustive patchwork of her art.

— Ella Kemp, Little White Lies

You have amazing material but haven't yet nailed story structure? We can build it. Maximize compelling storytelling, complex character arcs and emotional highs and lows to rivet your audience. Below find an excerpt from the film featuring author Greil Marcus on Pauline Kael's pivotal 1968 review of BONNIE AND CLYDE (Dir: Arthur Penn, 1967) for The New Yorker

WHAT I DID

Producer- Director Rob Garver had an incredible subject in telling the story of film critic Pauline Kael, 43 gorgeously lit interviews with contemporary film luminaries such as Quentin Tarantino, David O'Russell, Paul Schrader, James Toback, Greil Marcus, Philip Lopate and Molly Haskell all waxing poetic about the influence and impact of the work of Pauline Kael, He had a vision, but hadn't yet nailed the story structure. We talked in detail about what kind of story he wanted to tell, who he identified as his target audience, the emotional throughline and the impact he wanted to make with his film. Here'sa peek at music and culture critic Greil Marcus speaking on the force of Pauline Kael's writing.

IN THE WAKE OF DISASTER : HAMBURG, IOWA

Isabel Sadurni: Editor

Director/Producer/Camera, Jaka Vinsek and Reed Young, 3 min excerpt., U.S.A., 2019

You’re a super genius cameraperson, a natural with eliciting authentic, emotional moments from subjects, but don’t know how to torque the footage into compelling content with an emotional arc and a pointed tone? I’m ready.

WHAT I DID:

Working with Director-Producer-Cameramen Jaka Vinsek and Reed Young I worked through over 15 hours of incredible footage, came up with the story arc of a cautionary tale that tapped into the national anxiety of the unknowns around climate change and the need for community in overcoming natural disaster. Jaka and Reed’s primary purpose was to breakdown the larger story in to several scenes for a multi-media website which will feature their videos, still photographs and essays.: www.hamburgflood.com.

VICE FOR HBO: TRANSYOUTH

Isabel Sadurni: Additional Editor

Documentary VICE on HBO Broadcast U.SA., 30 mins,  2017,

As the debate continues over which bathroom transgender people should use, a more complex question is emerging about how early the medical transition begins for trans kids. Families and doctors are rewriting the rules as they decide when and how to start medical intervention before transgender youth hit puberty. VICE explores this emotionally charged and rapidly evolving issue with trans youth and their parents in the midst of that intense process.

                HBO's transyouth is a powerful reminder of the need for acceptance -- Bustle Magazine

A refreshing direction in approaching the issues faced by the trans community -- The Sophian

                                                                                This episode of HBO’s VICE couldn’t be more relevant after Trump and his administration withdrew transgender bathroom                                                                                                protections.                                  --Awardsdaily.com

 

Need to build a narrative foundation for multiple character threads simultaneous to shooting their stories? That's exactly what we did.

WHAT I DID:

Working with Emmy award-nominated VICE Producer,  Beverly Chase  and Emmy and Peabody award-winning Executive Producer Tim Clancy, I built scenes that hit both the emotional core and sharpened the personal obstacles of a character in telling the story of the controversial issue of using of hormone blockers in todays youth ages 5-18.. In creating a piece about the oldest transgender subject preparing for top surgery, we focused on dramatizing the stigmas associated with presenting publicly as the alternate gender and how to navigate finding a sense of self, belonging and home after being abandoned by one's family. While we couldn't address the scope of this complex issue within the 30 minute time limit, we could encourage opening a conversation with the audience to guide and shape future episodes on transgender issues. 

PISTOLA IN THE CITY

Isabel Sadurni, Director, Writer, Producer, Camera, Editor

An irreverent economist by day enters another world by night to fulfill the creative expression of her alter ego, Pistola Deluxe. Shot on location in NYC.

 

 The American Nurse: Healing America

Isabel Sadurni: Lead Editor

Documentary Feature Film, HD, U.SA., 81 mins,  2015, American Film Showcase selection, for the U.S. State Department

"This is one of the best films you'll see this year, documentary or otherwise. . . It's hard to walk away from The American Nurse unmoved." -- The Aisle Seat

 
 

" A compassionate and psychologically revealing doc. . . accessible not only to Americans of any philosophical stripe but . . . to viewers in other countries." -- The Hollywood Reporter

How to interweave five characters work and lives covering wildly diverse territories under an overarching theme of nursing in America? Take a peek.

WHAT I DID

Building upon the success of The American Nurse book of portraits, this multi-platform release required the documentary feature to expand upon previously established themes of real-life heroism and extraordinary compassion. Working with Director Carolyn Jones’ initial ideas, I interwove back-story and home life for five separate characters, established their spiritual quest, distinguished a unique tone for each character using a palette of regional visuals and sound design. I then built a rake of escalating obstacles and resolution within an overarching 3-act structure.

The American Nurse explores some of the biggest issues facing America - aging, war, poverty, prisons - through the work and lives of five nurses. 

Director: Carolyn Jones
Producer: Lisa Frank
D.P.: Jaka Vinsek                            
Distributor: Kino Lorber

THE CRITERION COLLECTION

Isabel Sadurni: Editor

Documentary, 10- 55 mins, Over 40 feature supplements edited

How to create momentum using sit-down interviews, stills and referential clips? It's a snap when the footage is sourced from cinematic masterworks.

Selection from Editing The THIN RED LINE, Shaping A Terence Malick Film

WHAT I DID

From Kurosawa to Vigo, Rossellini to Malick, I worked with multiple Criterion Producers to create rich, in-depth contextual explorations of the personal, historical and cultural significance of classical and contemporary cinematic masterpieces. Edits involved interweaving interviews with historians, scholars, critics and artists.  I've been honored to create over 40 supplemental documentaries, ranging in length from 10 to 55 minutes.

REEL

My creative birth place in documentary filmmaking came from shooting, editing and producing documentaries for The 100 People Foundation, which took me to far-away lands and cultivated my education about the world, its peoples and my place in it. Below is a sample of work for The 100 People Foundation. Feel free to ask about developing similarly themed collaborations.

ABOUT

ISABEL SADURNI

DOWNLOADS

Resume + Bio

 

PROFESSIONAL BIO

I’m an award winning producer, editor and writer who has worked on scripted and non-fiction projects across multiple platforms in partnership with PBS, Amazon Studios, Disney Television, HBO, Discovery and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. I’ve worked as a freelance documentary filmmaker for over 20 years, focusing on social issues facing our global community. My work as editor on such films as What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael and The American Nurse has screened­ at numerous film festivals, including Berlin and Telluride. My work includes stories that range in subject from transgender youth to the intersection of nursing and politics. I’ve produced and shot films in China, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, and 3 countries in Africa. My work as an Editor has been recognized by the State Department. A podcast I produced, hosted and edited is permanently archived in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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My family, made up entirely of doctors and nurses, ran a community health clinic in a small village in Mexico. Everyone in our town felt connected and supported out of necessity. It’s that same small town sensibility that I bring to my stories. It’s also the kind of above and below the line family I like to build around my projects.

I’ve taught graduate level courses in production at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Documentary Film and Video where I received my master’s degree.

As as screenwriter I tend towards stories of independent working class single mothers, spotlighting authentic female friendships that often involve choices of moral complexity. I’m interested in redefining the boundaries of the contemporary heroism. I’ve also been a contributing writer to ArtForum, Wired and Filmmaker. I got my start working as a documentary editor for The Criterion Collection.

I’m passionate about engaging with a global audience. My goal, as a filmmaker, is to develop a more profound understanding of our common visual language and the primal forces underlying stories that connect viewers of all ages.

I’m a graduate of U.C. Berkeley (B.S.,Philosophy/Physics) and Stanford University (M.A., Communications).

Recently my work as a consultant for virtual production has fostered interaction with a roster of creatives at Amazon Studios, Disney Television and Industrial Light and Magic. I’m is part of a team overseeing studio integration of breakthrough virtual production technologies and dynamic new collaborative workflows across a slate of series and feature titles.

Find out more at www.isabelsadurni.com

Storytelling is magic. Bringing diverse perspectives together to tell those stories is what empowers every audience to take part in that experience.

In front of and behind the camera, representation matters.

Isabel lives in Brooklyn, NY

Pinspiration

Films, art and more that inspire me

“I’ve been with, and seen Isabel in just about every imaginable situation. In creating multiple projects together over 10 years, we’ve encountered countless challenges and she handled them all calmly and elegantly. Isabel is fearless, true to her word and has a spirit and energy that could pretty much get anyone through anything. There is nothing she cannot do – or at least in all these years, I have not yet come across it.”
— Carolyn Jones, Producer, Director
“Isabel’s precision and an ability to problem solve creatively while maintaining a great repore with others was key. Isabel was able to assimilate notes and turn things around fast while continuing to add to the evolution of the story and the emotional impact of piece. . . and she made me laugh.””
— Tim Clancy, Emmy and ACE Award Winning, Co-Executive Producer, VICE on HBO
“Whenever I think of the Bonnie and Clyde scene in WHAT SHE SAID: THE ART OF PAULINE KAEL, I think of Isabel.
It’s one of the best in the movie, if not the best.”
— Rob Garver, Director, Producer, Editor
“Isabel is an absolute artist.  I know when she is working on a project she is going to find the human hook that is going to pull the viewer through the narrative, that the storytelling will be complete - from picture to soundtrack to closing frame. Working with Isabel is a total joy and her work is meaningful and beautiful. Can’t recommend her enough.”
— Kathryn Jones, Executive Director, Collective Agency
“Communication is always clear. Things always get discussed. That wondering anxiety is never present because Isabel’s so willing and open to explore and execute an idea fully.
”
— Kate Elmore, Producer, The Criterion Collection
“Isabel’s generous spirit, keen cinematic insight and knack for storytelling really shines through. Her prepared notes and white-boarding session were awesome. She adds such immense value to the production and I look forward to working with her again.”
— Ubah Bulale, Director, Producer, Executive Producer
“Isabel’s instincts and intuition are solid. Her ability to craft a narrative is there. When your under a time crunch, her ability to both recognize the trouble zone and come back with a creative solution is super-helpful.”
— Jason Altman, Producer, The Criterion Collection
“Isabel’s natural ability to focus the story and drive the emotion of a piece with rhythm and flow brought out the heartbeat of our project. ”
— Shari Johanson, Film and Television Music Editor
“Building a deep emotional connection to the characters and ramping dramatic conflict over four acts was our priority. Isabel heard that and that remained strong for her throughout the editing process. She helped me think through the story in a much more emotional way, tying in the characters lives to the Big dramatic arc as well as the minor themes of our story.”
— Ouida Washington, Producer, The Newark Project, In Development for PBS
“As a story producer Isabel went above and beyond what was required to find storylines and themes in the footage— super helpful and easy going.”
— Peter Chelkowski, Television Director/Producer
“Isabel has a gift for getting to the heart of the story, a great sense of story construction and care for the characters.”
— Daniella Duarte, Independent film director
“The film director and I had a blast and the film greatly benefited from Isabel’s look on it. It was also great getting to know her better as an artist and as a human being.”
— Jahn Sood, Composer and Playwright for We Were An Island
“Isabel was committed not just the specifics of being The Editor, but was interested in the project in a holistic way. I hugely appreciated her understanding the bigger goals and of keeping her eye on the big picture.”
— Jessica Bauman, Director, Wordplay Shakespeare

THE STUDIO

PHILOSOPHY

Post production sits at the intersection of storytelling and technology. Beyond constructing creative solutions in building your visual narrative, I also make it my job to streamline technical systems to make functionality a seamless part of our collaborative process. 

TEAM

My on-call extended family of post-production professionals offer assistant editing, color-grading, sound design and sound mixing to make working here a world-class center for creative and technical excellence.  

LOCATION

Just 1 short block from the "2 or 5" or 3 blocks from the Q/B line in quiet lush Prospect Lefferts Gardens. My studio is a 15 minute ride from New York's Union Square and an easy connection to multiple Brooklyn nexus. 

The spacious 800 square-foot live/work studio includes: 

  • State-of-the-art Edit station with 2x2.25 GHz Quad Core Mac Pro, two broadcast-calibrated, 27” color monitors, performance audio speakers.

  • Avid Media Composer, Premiere Pro and ProTools Software

  • Courtesy guest Mac iPad Air with keyboard for in-house use

  • Free Wi-Fi

LET'S TALK

Up to your ears in brilliant footage with your narrative feature and your awards speech ret-to-go, just need a fearless editor with a keen sense of story and character development who can be ruthless with the shears? Planning your independent Sundance-bound doc feature and looking to get key personnel in place? I LOVE planning ahead! Can’t even get the paper edit down? Don’t panic. I’ll help you figure out a story structure and shape your footage to build a powerful story with compelling, relatable characters. Here are a couple of ways we can work together:

Editing,  starting from raw material or re-working.

  • We develop a dynamic structure for your film, factoring in all essential elements, map the narrative progression from start to finish together, then I work independently or with you in the studio to make your film a thing of beauty, even if it was already decent.

  • Need clarity in a story that feels overweighted with too many characters or whose narrative throughline feels messy or muddled? I’ll crank out some genius options and show you sample of what's possible, using your present footage.

Phone consulting. I offer:

  • Brainstorming to find the gold that’s already there. It’s hiding in your brilliant footage, you just need some help organizing it to offer clarity and a coherent story form.

  • Honest, insightful feedback on what you’ve got, and the guidance you need to lift away the inessential. It’s like conducting surgery by phone, but way less dangerous.

  • Talking through genre and tone. I've done a fair amount of reading and writing about cinema and often can offer specific scene references and anecdotes that can help illuminate an idea. Love getting my cinematic nerd on.

 

 

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MAKING FILMS TO INSPIRE. ENGAGE. ENTERTAIN.

CHANGE THE WORLD.