Bio

Sasha Levinson

For more than two decades, Emmy Award-nominated and Academy Award-shortlisted filmmaker Sasha Levinson has shaped culture from behind the camera. A director, writer and producer of films, iconic music videos and ad campaigns, she has worked with luminaries such as 50 Cent, Shania Twain, ODB (Wu-Tang Clan), the Dalai Lama, Serena Williams and Oprah Winfrey. Her first music video, for Cake’s “Short Skirt, Long Jacket,” was nominated for an MTV award. Her first short film premiered at SXSW, and her black-and-white photographs of Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Girls were published by Rizzoli and Vogue. She was the first woman to direct an ad campaign for the City of Las Vegas, with a short film about a surprise lesbian wedding that went viral, earning the highest positive comment rating for branded content of all time on YouTube. The campaign won a National Addy.

Her first significant short film, WELCOME TO GRANDVILLE, premiered at the Soho International Film Festival, about a widow, a relentless rock and roll journalist, and the lost final recordings of her iconic musician husband.

Her feature documentary directorial debut, SYLVIE OF THE SUNSHINE STATE, premiered at Slamdance 2022 and won the Spirit of Slamdance Award. She went on to produce the Netflix documentary MAKAYLA’S VOICE, which premiered at Slamdance 2024, won Best Documentary at Tribeca, Cleveland, Atlanta Film Festival and Indy Shorts, made the Academy Awards shortlist, and earned her a 2026 Children and Family Emmy nomination. She is also Executive Producer of the Nashville Emmy Award-winning George Jones tribute concert film, released by Fathom and PBS in 2025.

Sasha is also the Co-Founder of ARCHIVIST, a production company that puts the power to shape culture into the hands of the people. She is in love with the collaborative filmmaking process. Her sets are famously joyful, and it shows on screen.

ARCHIVIST is currently in pre-production on THE POWER OF 3, a music documentary charting the collaboration of Orianthi, Cindy Blackman Santana and Rhonda Smith, three iconic musicians known for playing alongside Michael Jackson, Lenny Kravitz, Prince and Carlos Santana, now taking the spotlight with Sasha at the helm. She is also in development on the feature dramedy DEATH & MAHJONG alongside producer Tracy Aftergood.