Erin Persley is an award winning documentary filmmaker and producer. Her work aims to tell compelling personal journeys that connect disparate communities. Erin’s films include LIVING INSIDE OUT, exploring prison reentry from the perspective of three women in the San Francisco Bay Area, and EMPOWERING THE YARD, which examined a HIV peer education program in an Oklahoma women’s prison. EMPOWERING THE YARD was selected to participate in the illustrious 2009 American Documentary Showcase, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, where it screened at U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Uganda. As a Producer and Documentary Instructor with Actuality Media, she has worked on documentaries in Nicaragua, Nepal, Morocco, and Cambodia, as well as, producing content for non-profit and tech clients including Creativelive, Salesforce Foundation, San Francisco Planning Department, and BAVC.
Erin currently teaches film courses at San Francisco State University and College of San Mateo. She is working on a feature documentary entitled HUMAN SHIELD, a film centered on abortion clinic escorts, volunteers, who put their bodies on the line to protect vulnerable patients from harassment at three U.S. clinics. Erin is also producing BLEEDING AUDIO, a punk-rock music documentary centered on the Bay Area band The Matches.
CV/Resume available upon request.