Sonia Lowman

Sonia Lowman
EducationMaster's degree
Alma materLondon School of Economics
OccupationFilmmaker
Years active2017-present
Websitewww.sonialowman.com

Sonia Lowman is an American filmmaker who is known for documentaries such as Teach Us All, Black Boys, War & Grace, and Indomitable.[1]

Early life and education

Lowman grew up in Santa Clarita, California and attended Valencia High School. Her father was an entertainment editor and movie/TV reporter from whom she learned about the film industry.[2] She graduated from Boston University and holds a Master's degree from the London School of Economics.[3]

Career

Prior to filmmaking, Lowman worked for various non-profits, including International Medical Corps, the Milken Family Foundation, and running a youth outreach program for the International Monetary Fund.[4] Lowman had no prior filmmaking experience prior to the release of her first film, Teach Us All.[5] The film was released on Netflix in September 2017.[2]

In 2020, Lowman released Black Boys, a documentary that addresses the dehumanization of young Black men in America.[6] The film was released on Peacock and won numerous awards, including the Best Feature Length Documentary at the Montreal International Black Film Festival.[7] She also wrote and directed War & Grace in 2020, a film about mothers and midwives in war zones, produced by Sienna Miller.[8]

Lowman released the documentary Indomitable in 2024. The film was shot in Ukraine and documents the humanitarian crisis of the Russo-Ukrainian War.[9]

Filmography

Year Film Credit Notes
2017 Teach Us All Writer, director, producer [10]
2020 Black Boys Writer, director, producer [11]
War & Grace Writer, director, producer [12]
2024 Indomitable Writer, director, producer [13]

References

  1. ^ Williams, Trey. "How 'Black Boys' Director Confronted 'Pervasive' White Fear, Including Her Own, in Doc About Black Men". The Wrap.
  2. ^ a b Strauss, Bob (September 21, 2017). "'Teach Us All,' the first film by Santa Clarita's Sonia Lowman, comes to Netflix with Ava DuVernay's help". Los Angeles Daily News.
  3. ^ "Sonia Lowman". The Huffington Post.
  4. ^ "Directors". Film Fatales.
  5. ^ Reed, Christopher Llewellyn. "Interview with "Black Boys" Director Sonia Lowman". Film Festival Today.
  6. ^ Lukowski, Sarah. ""Black Boys" illuminates the toll of racism on Black men in America". The Suffolk Journal.
  7. ^ "MIBFF20 WINNERS". Montreal International Film Festival. 8 October 2020.
  8. ^ Kiefer, Peter. "International Medical Corps, Producer of New Documentary 'War & Grace,' Brings Relief Efforts to L.A." The Hollywood Reporter.
  9. ^ "Indomitable: Sonia Lowman's film highlights ongoing Ukrainian crisis". Essa News. March 2, 2024.
  10. ^ "Education inequality is focus of documentary "Teach Us All"". CBS News.
  11. ^ Phillips, Maya. "'Black Boys' Review: Young Lives in the Balance". The New York Times.
  12. ^ Lowman, Sonia. "Documenting the Ukrainian Struggle for Survival: The Power of Storytelling". Nonprofit Quarterly.
  13. ^ Gulda, Przemek. "Indomitable: American filmmaker shines a light on Ukraine's untold resilience". Daily Wrap.