Sonia Lowman

{{Short description|American filmmaker}}

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| name = Sonia Lowman

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| education = Master's degree

| alma_mater = London School of Economics

| occupation = Filmmaker

| years_active = 2017-present

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| website = {{URL|https://www.sonialowman.com/}}

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Sonia Lowman is an American filmmaker who is known for documentaries such as Teach Us All, Black Boys, War & Grace, and Indomitable.{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Trey |title=How ‘Black Boys’ Director Confronted ‘Pervasive’ White Fear, Including Her Own, in Doc About Black Men |url=https://www.thewrap.com/black-boys-director-sonia-lowman-pervasive-white-fear/ |website=The Wrap}}

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. She graduated from Boston University and holds a Master's degree from the London School of Economics.{{cite web |title=Sonia Lowman |url=https://www.huffpost.com/author/sonia-lowman |website=The Huffington Post}}

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.{{cite web |title=Directors |url=https://filmfatales.org/directors/sonialowman/ |website=Film Fatales}} Lowman had no prior filmmaking experience prior to the release of her first film, Teach Us All.{{cite web |last1=Reed |first1=Christopher Llewellyn |title=Interview with “Black Boys” Director Sonia Lowman |url=https://filmfestivaltoday.com/interviews/interview-with-black-boys-director-sonia-lowman |website=Film Festival Today}} The film was released on Netflix in September 2017.{{cite web |last1=Strauss |first1=Bob |title=‘Teach Us All,’ the first film by Santa Clarita’s Sonia Lowman, comes to Netflix with Ava DuVernay’s help |url=https://www.dailynews.com/2017/09/21/teach-us-all-the-first-film-by-santa-claritas-sonia-lowman-comes-to-netflix-with-ava-duvernays-help/ |website=Los Angeles Daily News |date=September 21, 2017}}

In 2020, Lowman released Black Boys, a documentary that addresses the dehumanization of young Black men in America.{{cite web |last1=Lukowski |first1=Sarah |title="Black Boys" illuminates the toll of racism on Black men in America |url=https://thesuffolkjournal.com/32570/ac/film/black-boys-illuminates-the-humanity-of-black-men-in-america/ |website=The Suffolk Journal}} The film was released on Peacock and won numerous awards, including the Best Feature Length Documentary at the Montreal International Black Film Festival.{{cite web |title=MIBFF20 WINNERS |url=https://montrealblackfilm.com/en/mibff20-winners/ |website=Montreal International Film Festival|date=8 October 2020 }} She also wrote and directed War & Grace in 2020, a film about mothers and midwives in war zones, produced by Sienna Miller.{{cite web |last1=Kiefer |first1=Peter |title=International Medical Corps, Producer of New Documentary ‘War & Grace,’ Brings Relief Efforts to L.A. |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/international-medical-corps-producer-of-new-documentary-war-grace-brings-relief-efforts-to-l-a-4125555/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}

Lowman released the documentary Indomitable in 2024. The film was shot in Ukraine and documents the humanitarian crisis of the Russo-Ukrainian War.{{cite web |title=Indomitable: Sonia Lowman's film highlights ongoing Ukrainian crisis |url=https://essanews.com/indomitable-sonia-lowmans-film-highlights-ongoing-ukrainian-crisis,7001647546857601a |website=Essa News |date=March 2, 2024}}

Filmography

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Credit

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes

2017Teach Us AllWriter, director, producer{{cite web |title=Education inequality is focus of documentary "Teach Us All" |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/education-inequality-is-focus-of-documentary-teach-us-all/ |website=CBS News}}
rowspan=2| 2020Black BoysWriter, director, producer{{cite web |last1=Phillips |first1=Maya |title=‘Black Boys’ Review: Young Lives in the Balance |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/10/movies/black-boys-review.html |website=The New York Times}}
War & GraceWriter, director, producer{{cite news |last1=Lowman |first1=Sonia |title=Documenting the Ukrainian Struggle for Survival: The Power of Storytelling |url=https://nonprofitquarterly.org/documenting-the-ukrainian-struggle-for-survival-the-power-of-storytelling/ |publisher=Nonprofit Quarterly}}
2024IndomitableWriter, director, producer{{cite web |last1=Gulda |first1=Przemek |title=Indomitable: American filmmaker shines a light on Ukraine's untold resilience |url=https://dailywrap.uk/indomitable-american-filmmaker-shines-a-light-on-ukraines-untold-resilience,7001648066647681a |website=Daily Wrap}}

References

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