Aliyah Mitchell is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based filmmaker and photographer.
Driven by a Deep Interest in all Aspects of Filmmaking – Her production experiences range from producing and directing to gaffing/gripping and post-production management and editing. She holds a BA in filmmaking from the University of Michigan and currently manages and produces documentary-style content to support learning, inspire positive culture change, and promote DEI at the University of Michigan.
Longtime Enthusiasm for Linguistics and Language Acquisition – It drives her to produce narrative and documentary content exploring language, linguistics, and human communication. Having studied 7+ languages, she considers herself a practicing polyglot and for Aliyah, language of all types are integral to understanding and communicating everything.
Producer, Director, & Editor – Currently she’s producing a language docuseries and podcast – We Are What We Speak – with Salud Sin Papeles (2018) director Juan D. Freitez. This project unpacks how language perceptions can reveal deep, everyday truths about how we see and navigate the world. The We Are What We Speak podcast is available now. | She’s currently directing and editing a “A Sleeping Angel” with cartoonist and “The Diary of a Teenage Girl” writer Phoebe Gloeckner, which was recently selected for the Ann Arbor Film Festival 2024. | Selected for the 2022 Independent Film Festival Ypsilanti, Aliyah produced and edited a short documentary about Mosaic artist and Tai Chi instructor, Master Wasentha Young. | Previously directed and produced by Aliyah, “Road to Life” is about two Muskegon, Michigan families with young children who must grapple with their family’s experiences with incarceration.
Making Change – Aliyah co-owns and operates We Are What We Speak, a film company focused on highlighting diverse perspectives and experiences, one language story at a time.
