EMMA FORTHOFER
Cinematography | Photography | Info
Information
Emma Forthofer is a visual artist specializing in the creation of cinematic imagery. She splits her time between Los Angeles and coastal Maine, traveling to work worldwide.
Born and raised in Maine, Emma first studied photography on the job as a teengage seasonal staff photographer for Acadia National Park. This naturally progressed to creating short documentaries for the U.S. National Park Service. Through this work, she seeks to capturing the beauty of the natural world and the importance of its proper stewardship. National parks she has filmed in include Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Yosemite, the National Mall, the Virgin Islands, and (of course, her favorite park) Acadia.
Having crewed in camera and G&E departments on various series for Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime, Emma also understands the Hollywood film industry. Her work as director of photography for indie films spans sci-fi, thriller, comedy, tragedy, horror, drama, and character study. Jobs have taken her from Los Angeles to NYC, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Las Vegas, San Fransisco, Boston, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and (of course, her favorite state) Maine. Mentored by luminaries such as Alicia Robbins, ASC, Sandra Valde-Hansen, ASC, LPS, Jerry Henry, and Arron Nelson of Rare Breeds Camera Rentals, she is a growth-driven artist devoted to furthering her craft.
Emma’s unique blend of experience ranging from managing multiple departments on set as director of photography to shooting solo guerrilla documentary allows her to be a cinematography swiss army knife. With story and character always as the guiding light for creative decision-making, she looks forward to collaborating with you behind the camera on your next project.
Fellowships, awards, & selections
Women in Media Developing Filmmaker Fellow
WiM + Zeiss Altitude Awards semi-finalist
Cannes Short Film Corner selection, Fantaspoa selection, and Film Shortage feature for "Bleed, Don't Die" – DP
Overlook Film Festival selection for “Call Earl” – DP
NFFTY selection for "Vacationland" – DP
LAFA Best Short Documentary for “A Fifth Season” – DP
Student Academy Awards Semi-Finalist for "Nothing Down About It" – DP
Formal education
AFI Cinematography Intensive for Women
Loyola Marymount University: Bachelor of Arts in Film & Television Production
Akademie für Internationale Bildung: International Documentary Program
Maine Media Workshop Cinematography Intensive
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