Carmen is an award-winning documentary filmmaker with monocular vision. For more than two decades she’s contributed to nuanced and entertaining storytelling through the lens of cinema verite, animation, archival, and live action.
Her work has screened widely in theatres, on television, and at festivals including TIFF, Hot Docs, and VIFF, among others.
Previous director/ writer/ producer credits include the ten-part series Dancehalls, Deejays & Distortion (Yorkton best series 2021/ KN); Militant Mother (Hot Docs 2022/ Crave); and For Dear Life (DOXA 2017/ KN). Select writer, editor, creative director, and consultant credits include Ninth Floor (TIFF top ten); Because We are Girls (Hot Docs); The World Is Bright (VIFF Sea to Sky Award); Dirt (LEO award best editing); Citizen Sam (CSA nom best editing); and Inay (VIFF Arbutus Award).
Carmen is an alumna of Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Simon Fraser University, Women in the Director’s Chair, Story Money Impact, and a member of the Directors Guild of Canada.
Selected Press
"Militant Mother is just this great subtle back and forth between past and present, between photographs and archival film, and the surviving members of this movement. // ‘Don't let anyone tell you a small group of people can't save the world, it's the only thing that ever has.' "
Toronto film critic Norm Wilner
The Tyee—How Jean Swanson & Militant Moms Fought to Change Vancouver
“Audiences get an upbeat adventure in Carmen Pollard’s superbly assembled portrait of Vancouver rock ‘n’ roll DJ Red Robinson.” POV Magazine
POV mag—Spotlight on Canadian Films—Red Robinson
Times Colonist—Documentary tells story of The Dishrags
Times Colonist—Knowledge Network series features Vancouver Island music icons
Aldergrove Star—Filmmaker makes memory of Aldergrove’s own Woodstock a little less hazy
“It’s time we came clean about the Dishrags and other long-lost Candian all-female rock bands.”
“The sound was rough, the image blurred — but the content was gold.”
“For Dear Life is told with a grace that attests to Pollard’s storytelling skill.”
POV Magazine DOXA Pushes the Boundaries
The Georgia Straight—For Dear Life premieres on Knowledge
For Dear Life chronicles the process of dying
“It’s a sensitive, graceful work of art that’s funny, gripping, amazing and ultimately a tremendous gift for viewers.” POV Magazine
Education
Emily Carr University of Art and Design — Film, Video & Animation
Simon Fraser University — Leadership Essentials
Story Money Impact — Empowering Creators for Community
Women in the Directors Chair — Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity
Camosun College — Photography, English Literature
Honours & Awards
WIFF — Women in Focus alumni
Hot Docs — Citizen Minutes alumni
Militant Mother — director, writer, producer, editor
Leo Award for Best Program (nominee)
Leo Award for Best Direction (nominee)
Leo Award for Best Picture Editing (nominee)
Leo Award for Best Original Score (Brent Belke nominee)
Dancehalls, Deejays & Distortion — director, writer, producer, editor
Golden Sheaf Award for Best Series (winner)
Golden Sheaf Award for Best of Festival (nominee)
Dumbo Film Festival (finalist)
For Dear Life — director, writer, producer, editor
Colin Low Award for Best Canadian Documentary (nominee)
Golden Sheaf Award for Best Social/Political Documentary (nominee)
Ninth Floor — creative director for post, editor
Tiff Top Ten—(winner)
Leo Award for Best Picture Editing (nominee)
Dirt — editor, lead visual effects artist
Leo Award for Best Picture Editing (winner)
Citizen Sam — editor, writer
Gemini Award for Best Picture Editing (nominee)
Leo Award for Best Picture Editing (nominee)
Dead Like Me — lead visual effects artist
Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Effects in a Dramatic Series (nominee)
Gold Fever — director, writer, producer, editor
Silver Shortie for Experimental Film—Short Circuit Film Festival (winner)
Ice Pilots NWT — editor
Leo Award for Best Picture Editing in a Series (nominee)
The Outer Limits — visual effects artist
Leo Award for Best Visual Effects in a Dramatic Series (nominee)