Heather Connell
Encyclopedia
Heather E. Connell is an American film director
. She is best known for directing the feature documentary Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children
(2008).
. She attended Salem State University where she studied screenwriting and theatre arts.
where she founded Displaced Yankee Productions, an independent film company dedicated to using film as a platform for raising social awareness and activism through entertainment.
Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Connell made the short film Choosing Your Course (2002). A couple of years later she directed another short titled Black/White (2004).
In 2008, Heather Connell wrote, directed and produced her first feature documentary Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children
. Narrated by Connell's close friend, actress Megan Follows
(well-known star of the Anne of Green Gables
television series), Small Voices documents the struggles of several street children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, many of whom live and work at the local garbage dump, on their journey to get an education. The documentary won several awards including the 2009 Gold Medal Award at the New York International Film and Video Awards and 2nd place Best Documentary at the Rhode Island International Film Festival
in 2008.
and director of Displaced Yankee Productions, Heather Connell is currently a board member for Community First Initiatives and Lineage Dance Company, a contemporary dance company dedicated to raising support and awareness for nonprofit organizations and to making the arts accessible to audiences of all demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Shortly after filming Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children
, Connell founded the Safe Haven School. Safe Haven is a non-profit educational and therapeutic outreach program for disabled children in Siem Riep, Cambodia. Safe Haven's mission is to provide a safe environment for children with disabilities, allowing them the opportunity to have access to the educational and therapeutic resources that they need in order to reach their full potential and their highest level of personal independence.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. She is best known for directing the feature documentary Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children
Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children
Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children is a 2008 documentary film that follows several street and dumpster children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on their journey to receive an education...
(2008).
Early life and education
Heather Connell was born and raised in MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. She attended Salem State University where she studied screenwriting and theatre arts.
Directing career
In 2001, Connell relocated to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where she founded Displaced Yankee Productions, an independent film company dedicated to using film as a platform for raising social awareness and activism through entertainment.
Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Connell made the short film Choosing Your Course (2002). A couple of years later she directed another short titled Black/White (2004).
In 2008, Heather Connell wrote, directed and produced her first feature documentary Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children
Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children
Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children is a 2008 documentary film that follows several street and dumpster children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on their journey to receive an education...
. Narrated by Connell's close friend, actress Megan Follows
Megan Follows
Megan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows is a Canadian/American actress. She is most known to international audiences for her role as Anne Shirley in the acclaimed 1985 Canadian television miniseries Anne of Green Gables and its two sequels.-Biography:Follows was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as the...
(well-known star of the Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables is a bestselling novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery published in 1908. Set in 1878, it was written as fiction for readers of all ages, but in recent decades has been considered a children's book...
television series), Small Voices documents the struggles of several street children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, many of whom live and work at the local garbage dump, on their journey to get an education. The documentary won several awards including the 2009 Gold Medal Award at the New York International Film and Video Awards and 2nd place Best Documentary at the Rhode Island International Film Festival
Rhode Island International Film Festival
Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival takes place every year in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island as well as satellite locations throughout the state. Started in 1997, the Festival is produced by Flickers, the Newport Film/Video Society & Arts Collaborative, a 501 non-profit...
in 2008.
Other work
Along with being the Executive ProducerExecutive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
and director of Displaced Yankee Productions, Heather Connell is currently a board member for Community First Initiatives and Lineage Dance Company, a contemporary dance company dedicated to raising support and awareness for nonprofit organizations and to making the arts accessible to audiences of all demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Shortly after filming Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children
Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children
Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children is a 2008 documentary film that follows several street and dumpster children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on their journey to receive an education...
, Connell founded the Safe Haven School. Safe Haven is a non-profit educational and therapeutic outreach program for disabled children in Siem Riep, Cambodia. Safe Haven's mission is to provide a safe environment for children with disabilities, allowing them the opportunity to have access to the educational and therapeutic resources that they need in order to reach their full potential and their highest level of personal independence.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Choosing Your Course | Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... /Writer Screenwriter Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... /Producer Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
|
| 2004 | Black/White | Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... /Writer Screenwriter Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... /Producer Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
|
| 2008 | Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children | Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... /Writer Screenwriter Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... /Producer Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
Gold Medal Award at the New York International Film and Video Awards(2009) 2nd place Best Documentary at the Rhode Island International Film Festival Rhode Island International Film Festival Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival takes place every year in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island as well as satellite locations throughout the state. Started in 1997, the Festival is produced by Flickers, the Newport Film/Video Society & Arts Collaborative, a 501 non-profit... (2008) |
| 2011 | Forget Us Not | Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... /Writer Screenwriter Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... /Producer Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
In Production |
External links
- Production Company's Website
- Heather E. Connell on Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...