Sara Nesson is a renowned filmmaker, best recognized for her Oscar-nominated and Emmy-nominated documentary, "Poster Girl," which tells the poignant story of Robynn Murray, the first female gunner in the Iraq War, as she battles her demons and the dysfunctional Veterans Affairs system upon her return home. This powerful documentary also won the International Documentary Association (IDA) Award.
Growing up in Newton, Massachusetts, Sara developed a passion for filmmaking under the guidance of her father, who taught her how to operate a Steenbeck film splicer. Together, they created social-issue and environmental films that took them to various locations across Eastern Europe, Japan, and Siberia.
In 2006, Sara relocated to Vermont, where she became acquainted with a group of young Iraq War veterans who were using handmade paper made from their uniforms as a means to process their experiences in war. This chance encounter inspired her documentary, "Iraq Paper Scissors," which chronicles the healing journey of these veterans.
The community of veterans introduced Sara to Robynn Murray, a tough-as-nails veteran who struggled with PTSD despite her impressive credentials as a gunner on convoys, featured on the cover of Army Magazine. Sara spent a year documenting Robynn's journey, alongside Bill Perry, a Vietnam War veteran with a Purple Heart, as they navigated the complexities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to secure compensation for Robynn's PTSD.
The project caught the attention of HBO, which supported the completion of "Poster Girl" and earned it an Academy Award nomination in 2011.
Currently based in Los Angeles, Sara continues to create short-form documentary content and feature-length documentaries. Her recent short, "Women Who Score," celebrates the achievements of 20 women composers, including Diane Warren, Laura Karpman, and Miriam Cutler, as they strive to make a difference in the male-dominated world of Hollywood music. This project earned a nomination for the Hollywood Music in Media Award (HMMA) for Best Music Documentary.
