I’m curious about the ecologies of people, places, and things that our culture turns away from, and believe it’s imperative to engage deeply with that which is hidden if we want to understand–and enrich–the entangled webs that make up our world.

I work primarily as a documentary filmmaker, more inspired by formal possibility than narrative convention. I create from a belief in the divine mundane, and aim to produce an atmosphere that prioritizes presence, embraces contradiction, and invites connection to the felt senses. Central to my process is a period of prolonged immersion, enabling me to form reciprocal relationships that engender true reverence and embodied understanding.

I currently live in Troy, New York where I co-run the microcinema Picture Lock One, collect rocks in the woods, and research kelp.

Selected Projects

“Memos From a New Age” (Hierophant Films, 2023) - Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor

“The 12th Victim” (Showtime, 2023) - Producer

“The Jewel Thief” (Hulu, 2023) - Co-Producer

“Song of Salt” (Hierophant Films, 2022) - Co-Director, Producer, Co-Cinematographer, Co-Editor

“Old Young” (Hierophant Films, 2020) - Director, Producer, Editor

“Shangri-La” (Showtime, 2019) - Co-Producer

"Won't You Be My Neighbor?" (Focus Features, 2018) - Associate Producer

“They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead” (Netflix, 2018) - Associate Producer

Screenings / Exhibitions / Awards

MDOCS @ Skidmore College, “Song of Salt,” 2024

Mimesis Documentary Festival, “Memos From a New Age,” 2023

Camphill Village Copake, “Song of Salt,” 2023

UCR Arts, “Song of Salt,” 2023 - sponsored by California Humanities with support from the National Endowment for the Arts

Buffalo International Film Festival, “Song of Salt,” 2022

Monadnock Film Festival, “Song of Salt,” 2022 - special screening co-presented by Radically Rural

Mimesis Documentary Festival, “Song of Salt,” 2022 - opening night film & winner of the Audience Award for Best Feature Doc

San Francisco Documentary Festival, “Song of Salt,” 2022

Lighthouse International Film Festival, “Song of Salt,” 2022 - special presentation & winner of the Honey Levine Audience Award

Slamdance Film Festival, “Old Young,” 2020

Sun Valley Film Fest, “Old Young,” 2020

Filmadelphia, “Old Young,” 2020

Drunken Oakland Film Fest, “Old Young,” 2020

SXSW, “Shangri-La,” 2019

Sundance Film Festival, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” 2018

Residencies

Fallingwater Institute, 2021 & 2023

Education

B.A. in Cinema Studies, University of Pennsylvania, 2014

Press

Song of Salt review - filmthreat.com

5 Questions with Emma Baiada — nobudge.com

5 Questions with Filmadelphia Shorts Filmmakers — tinseltine.com

A Tapioca Pearl Pressed Between our Thumbs - mix on dublab.com

Mister Blueberry - mix on buggiftshop.com

Emma Baiada ’10 serves on production team for mister rogers documentary “won’t you be my neighbor?” — mfriends.org

Documenting Mr. Rogers - sjmag.com

see Hierophant Films for more

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