Stephanie Liu is a documentary director and editor based in San Francisco. She’s drawn to stories that illuminate our shared humanity and help us imagine what the world could be.

FILMS


La Orquesta
Day Clean



CLIENT WORK



ACRE Collective
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
CHRIS 180


AMN Healthcare
Supermajority
Georgia Council on Development Disabilities





Photo: Arvin Temkar

I arrived at storytelling from a winding path. Growing up, I loved stories for their ability to carry me far beyond what I knew and deliver me to another time and place, but I never thought I could be the one holding the pen. A few lucky breaks and two (!) economics degrees later, I found myself producing media at places like The World Bank, ABC News and eventually Twitter, where I reached a crossroads – stay the course or pursue my own path. I took the leap.  

Today, I co-run Xerophile Studios, a production company dedicated to impactful nonfiction filmmaking. Our work has been supported by the Southern Documentary Fund, Latino Public Broadcasting, and the Chimaera Project. Most recently, I co-directed, produced and edited La Orquesta, a short documentary about Georgia’s first youth orchestra for immigrant families and the charismatic conductor at the center of it all. The film premiered at DC/DOX and went on to screen at festivals around the country, including DOC NYC, New Orleans Film Festival, and the Atlanta Film Festival. It is currently streaming on PBS as part of POV Shorts

As a filmmaker, I thrive in collaborative environments. And as a first-generation immigrant I believe our histories indelibly shape who we are and what we create. I bring my lived experience into everything I do. When I’m not working, I enjoy writing creative nonfiction and going on long roadtrips with my husband and our spirited Boston Terrier, Bowls.

If you are interested in collaborating, feel free to say hello! stephanie.f.liu@gmail.com

Awards & Recognition

2026 Sedona International Film Festival Marion Herrman Award for Excellence in Filmmaking for La Orquesta


2025 Chimaera Project Award


2023 Latino Public Broadcasting Digital Media Grant

2021 Southern Documentary Fund Production Grant

2020 Southern Documentary Fund Research & Development Grant

2020 Warner Media Creative Residency

© 2026 Stephanie Liu
Top ↑