JULIANNE SATO-PARKER 

Journalist / Documentary Filmmaker

+1.503.702.9785 / j.sato.parker@gmail.com 


WORK EXPERIENCE

FREELANCE 2018 – present

Documentary film director/producer

Audio narrative producer/writer

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, 2020 – 2022

Research assistant for journalist Jeanne Marie Laskas

BLUE CHALK MEDIA, (Portland, OR & Brooklyn, NY) 2014 – 2018

Documentary Film Producer 

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, 2019 –2022

M.F.A., Creative Nonfiction Writing, 4.0 GPA

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, 2014

B.A. Journalism

Cum Laude & departmental honors, 3.79 GPA

National Society of Collegiate Scholars, four years

Columbia Journalism Scholarship, two year recipient

Dean’s List Scholar, four years

MISC 

PINEAPPLE STREET STUDIOS, INTERN – 2020-2021

TIN HOUSE WINTER WORKSHOP, NONFICTION – 2018

THE ATTIC INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND LETTERS –  2017-2018

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

“Storyarc Workshop:” coached a group of 10 graduate students studying video journalism

Guest lectured in journalism, feature writing, and documentary filmmaking courses

THE NEW SCHOOLS

Creative nonfiction courses, 2017

AWARDS 

ASSOCIATION FOR INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING – BEST DOCUMENTARY SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, 2022

“Solving for Zero,” Co-Director/Producer

WEBBY AWARDS, HONOREE – BEST DOCUMENTARY LONGFORM, 2023

“Solving for Zero,” Co-Director/Producer

COMMUNICATOR AWARDS – AWARD OF EXCELLENCE, 2023

“Solving for Zero,” Co-Director/Producer

THIRD COAST AUDIO FESTIVAL, FINALIST – BEST DOCUMENTARY, 2021

“That’s Just the Way the Ball Bounces,” Producer/Editor 

NEW YORK SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY, 2018

“Fighting for Racial Equality: A Conversation Between Generations,” Producer

COMMUNICATOR AWARDS, AWARD OF EXCELLENCE, 2018

“Tim’s New World,” Director 

COMMUNICATOR AWARDS, AWARD OF DISTINCTION, 2018

Pearson Originals,” Producer/Director

CYNOPSIS SOCIAL GOOD AWARDS, HONORABLE MENTION, 2018

“Tim’s New World,” Director 

BRONZE TELLY AWARD, TIM’S NEW WORLD, 2018

“Tim’s New World,” Director 

CYNOPSIS SOCIAL GOOD AWARDS, HONORABLE MENTION, 2016

“The Promise of Oregon,” Producer

HEARST JOURNALISM AWARD, 2014

Breaking News Writing, Reporter

HEARST JOURNALISM AWARD, 2014

Multimedia Storytelling, Reporter/Producer

WORK SAMPLES (documentary film + Audio) 

2023

Storefront Stories | Magnolia Network | Director/Producer

A series featuring small shops in the US.  

2022

Solving for Zero | Wondrium | Director/Producer/Additional Camera

A long form documentary about technological innovations working to combat climate change. 

2021

Big Dreams in Umatilla | Oregon Public Broadcasting | Lead Producer, Additional Camera

A long form documentary about a high school robotics team in a small, rural town in Oregon, and how it united the community.

2020

That’s Just the Way the Ball Bounces | Producer, Editor (Asian Americana Podcast & Self Evident Podcast [re-aired])

Personal audio essay about a phrase passed down in my family and how it was used to cope with the unthinkable from my  grandma’s imprisonment during WWII to the current global pandemic. 

2018

Fighting for Racial Equality | Producer 

A conversation between two generations of civil rights activists with similar goals, but different ideas on how to achieve them.

Interpreting the First Amendment: Regulating Protest in Minnesota | Director/Producer

Numerous states have recently debated legislation to limit protest tactics. This film takes us to Minnesota where State Rep. Zerwas introduced two pieces of legislation in which protesters could go to prison for up to three years or be fined for the cost of policing the protest.

Transgender Bathrooms: The Debate in Washington State | Director/Producer

This film takes us to Washington state, where since 2015, the state’s anti-discrimination laws have included gender identity. In 2017, one activism group attempted to overturn these protections, sparking one of the most important legislative battles for transgender bathroom equality laws in the country. 

Freedom of Religion  | Director/Producer

Starting in 1937, the construction of multiple dams flooded parts of the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington. The dams forever changed the fishing grounds that had long provided economic and spiritual sustenance to native Northwest tribes, hindering the right to freely practice religion for many tribes. 

Faith in America: Shintoism | Director/Producer 

In the series, we explore the vast world of religion. In cinematic and intimate portraits, we profile fifteen different religions through the experiences of believers in today’s America. The series ultimately poses the biggest question: what do I believe?

2017

Shifting Social Structures: Michael’s story | Producer 

A portrait of a Rust Belt town through the eyes of a single character’s experience who once earned enough working an industry job to chase the American Dream, but whose job was lost during America’s post-war deindustrialization. 

Agenda Setting in Politics: Rick Wilson | Producer 

Rick Wilson is a Republican political strategist trained under Lee Atwater – the master in political messaging and manipulation. This film is an exploration on the factors that drive a successful campaign, which in Rick Wilson’s opinion are simply: fear, anger, hope and love.

The Inequality Conversation | Producer

Inequality in the US today is as high as it has ever been since first being measured in the early twentieth century. A discussion on wealth discrepancies from a range of Americans. 

2016

Gender and Sexuality | Producer

An ensemble of voices who represent broad spectrums of gender and sexuality to better understand the shift from male/female, gay/straight designations.

Perspectives on Racism: A Salute to Solidarity | Producer

High school football players support the Colin Kaepernick inspired National Anthem protest and explore topics of race and protest. 

Of Form and Function | Producer 

Blue Chalk collaborated with NBC News Brand Studio and their client, Mercedes-Benz, to tell the stories of three LGBTQ makers who are redefining their artistic industries. After a decade of professional dancing, John Sorensen-Jolink craved an artistic pursuit that was more tangible and permanent than a performance. He began to design and build furniture that people would treasure, inspired by his background as a dancer and choreographer.

2015

Tim’s New World | Director / Producer

Tim has a rare form of cerebral palsy that affects just 100 people in the US. Despite living with significant physical challenges, Tim is cognitively normal and aspires to be a writer and filmmaker someday. 

Open School | Producer

Blue Chalk worked in collaboration with Open School and Must Be Something to tell the story of the amazing students who attend an alternative school in Portland, Oregon. Open School is a college-prep program for kids who need a different experience than traditional public schools in order to achieve academic success.

Promise of Oregon: Torrie Eagle Staff | Producer

Torrie Eagle Staff is a seventeen year old high school student who spent the first half of her youth on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. Her family moved to Portland, Oregon for greater educational and professional opportunities. She excelled. Torrie now dreams of attending college and creating a program to assist low-income, first-generation youth in achieving academic success.