Sarah Whelden

Sarah Whelden's award-winning approach to cinematography always puts the story first. It starts with asking "why" before ever considering "how."

As a queer trans woman, she has a special place in her heart for those in the shadows. She is drawn to narratives that highlight the often chaotic reality between humans and their surroundings, and to characters that are eager to find themselves but may not know where to start.

Sarah has lensed six feature films and numerous short films that have premiered at prestigious festivals worldwide. Her latest film Tight (2024) is set to premiere at SXSW in March of '24. Her most recent nomination was for the Jury Prize for Best Cinematography at the Dark Red Film Festival in '23 for Bury Your Fish (2022). In the fall of '23 she was invited to be a guest panelist and screen her short-form work, a collaboration with Fujifilm, at the renowned ASC Clubhouse.

Sarah was selected for the prestigious ASC Vision Mentorship in '21, working under the tutelage of Polly Morgan. In the spring of '23 she was among eight DP's chosen for Netflix & WIF's inaugural Cinematography Fellowship, which provides guidance from cinematographers Alison Kelly and Sandra Valde-Hansen.

Sarah is a passionate advocate for equity in hiring across all levels of the film industry. Hiring folks from under-represented groups fosters a better community and brings needed perspectives to the table - a crucial component of creating great work. But equity doesn't stop at hiring - it insists on building more collaborative workspaces that lift and provide a voice to everyone on set. Ego is not a part of that equation.

She calls Los Angeles home and is on the roster at Neer Motion. She is also a proud member of the International Cinematographer's Guild, Local 600.

Sarah Whelden’s approach to cinematography always puts the story first. It starts with asking “why” before ever considering “how.”
Sarah’s award-winning cinematography portfolio spans 15 years and comprises commercials, music videos, documentaries, and narrative. She has lensed seven feature films and numerous short films that have premiered at prestigious festivals worldwide. Her thriller Tight had it’s world premiere at SXSW in March of ’24, where it was quickly recognized by Harper’s Bazaar as one of Ten Can’t Miss Films at the festival.

Sarah has four films entering the festival circuit in 2025 including the surreal dramedy Magic Hour, a Duplass Brothers production, directed by and starring Katie Aselton along with Daveed Diggs, Brad Garrett and Susan Sullivan. Joining will be the drama Stitches, directed by Victoria Frings and starring Wren Schmidt and Katy Wright-Mead; the dark comedy Sweet Talkin’ Guy directed by Spencer Wardwell and Miss Dylan, who also stars in the film alongside Jimmie Fails, Daniel Olson, and Pierce Abernathy; and finally There’s A Devil Inside Me, a coming of age dramedy directed by Karina Lomelin Ripper for the 50th anniversary year of the AFI DWW+ program.

Over the summer of ‘24 Sarah wrapped principal photography on the adventure dramedy feature, Song Of The Bigfoot, starring Rhys Darby, Tre Hale, Baron Vaughn, Vivian Bang, and Brenda Stone.

Her feature film Screams from the Tower was nominated at Midwest Film Festival’s ‘Best of the Midwest 2024’ for Best Cinematography. Sarah was also nominated two years in a row (‘23 & ‘24) for cinematography at the Dark Red Film Festival for her work on the films Bury Your Fish and Chispa.

Sarah was honored with the ASC Vision Mentorship in ’21, working under the tutelage of Polly Morgan, ASC, BSC. In ’23 she was among eight DP’s chosen for Netflix & WIF’s inaugural Cinematography Fellowship, which provides guidance from cinematographers Alison Kelly and Sandra Valde-Hansen, ASC. The same year she was invited to be a guest panelist and screen her short-form work, a collaboration with Fujifilm’s global camera launch for the GFX100 II, at the renowned ASC Clubhouse.

Aside from her versatile visual language, showcased in her varied portfolio, Sarah is also known for her collaborative nature, leadership skills, and an infectious enthusiasm for the craft. When she’s not on set she enjoys sharing her knowledge through workshops, podcasts, and industry panels. To learn more about her approach - listen to her interview at NABShow New York here.

Sarah is a proud member of the International Cinematographer’s Guild, Local 600. She calls Los Angeles home and is represented by Neer Motion.