Talent Guide

Vanessa Carr

  • Discipline:Cinematographer, Director
  • Program Year:Documentary Story Lab 2026

Bio

Vanessa Carr is a documentary cinematographer specializing in character-driven vérité. Her work has appeared on HBO, Netflix and Disney+ and premiered at Sundance, TIFF, SXSW, Tribeca, CPH:DOX and IDFA—and more. Selected credits include Heart of Invictus, Sentient, On Pointe and Free Money. She shot and co-produced HBO’s Heroin: Cape Cod, USA, nominated for a Cinema Eye Honor. Carr is a DOC NYC 40 Under 40 honoree, LEF/CIFF and BAVC Mediamaker fellow, founding member of the Documentary Cinematographers Alliance and founder of Doc House. She holds degrees from UC Berkeley and Columbia. This is her first feature as a director.

Current Project

Untitled Nomads Documentary

Logline

When an American family of five trades their house for an RV, teenage daughter Leilani must come of age on the road. Over six years, her parents’ attempt to teach her and her brothers through experience–and pursue a more intentional life–reveals the joys and the costs of living outside societal norms.