Sharon Liese is an Emmy Award-winning director who is passionate about telling stories that move people. THE FLAGMAKERS, which she co-directed with Cynthia Wade (NatGeo, Disney+), won the Emmy for Outstanding Short Documentary (2023) and was Oscar shortlisted. Her short documentary, PARKER, premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and is distributed through The New Yorker. Her HBO feature documentary, TRANSHOOD, won the Audience Award at AFI. Sharon’s film, THE GNOMIST (CNN Films), won more than 15 awards. Sharon also created and executive produced Pink Collar Crimes (CBS), High School Confidential (WeTV), and many other projects for premium networks and streamers.
Please List the Title of Your Film at BIFF 2026
SEIZED
What was your first experience with film and how did it influence your first project?
I ran a small marketing and communications company during my first career. I found myself drifting from print advertising and attracted to telling client stories through film. When my daughter was entering high school I got the idea to follow her and 12 of her contemporaries for their four high school years. My daughter dropped out after the first interview and the rest allowed me to document their transformative journeys. It aired on WeTV as an 8-episode series and then I was asked by the network to follow another group of high school girls in Chicago. It opened up the world of documentary filmmaking for me and I changed professions. I have never looked back and I am so grateful and feel incredibly privileged that I get to find stories, hear stories and tell them to people who are curious and interested.
Who is (are) your favorite filmmakers?
I admire so many filmmakers. Here are some: Richard Linklater, Celine Song, Vince Gilligan, Laura Poitras and Nathan Fielder. There are a lot more I could name!
What are you working on that no one knows about?
Developing many things at the moment, throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks!
Who would play you in a movie? What’s your go to movie snack? What’s the film title that best describes your life?
- Holly Hunter
- Junior Mints
- Untitled
