About — Amanda Sweikow

I believe….

that cinema should make you feel above all else, character and emotion come first
that the plot is not the story
that cinema should express humanity as authentically as possible
that form and style should serve the narrative, cinema should show not tell, and every choice should serve the narrative
that the why of the film is most important, there should be intention in every choice; camera angle, misc-en-scene, sound elements, editing, all should serve and reinforce the why
that cinema should express personal voice, without fear or apology
that cinema should have an impact (but not be didactic), that it should create empathy and unite us
that cinema should trust its audience and not pander to it
that cinema should leave room for interpretation, it should ask questions not shove answers down our throats
that cinema is not ‘content’
that cinema should be experienced in a theater with an audience

I believe that as cinema-makers….

we should focus on people over profit, treating everyone with dignity and respect
we should realize that collaboration is key, and be open to new ideas at every stage
we should build community, sharing information and resources with one another
we should act with integrity, do what we say we’ll do and own up to mistakes
we should admit that we do not know everything, and always be asking questions, especially “how can we make or do this better?
we should work to sustain a theatrical ecosystem, because shared viewing is essential to cinema’s power to inspire culture and empathy.

Amanda Sweikow is a Los Angeles–based cinema-maker, writer, director, producer, and curator whose work centers on personal storytelling, artistic expression, and independent cinema.

A graduate of San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Cinema, magna cum laude, Amanda spent much of her career with Filmmakers Alliance, rising from intern to Vice President and Executive Director, where she supported hundreds of independent filmmakers through production, artist development, grants, and programming.

An award-winning writer, director, and producer, her work includes films such as Plus or Minus: A Few Things I Thought I Should Consider and That’s Not My Mother, along with producing credits including Quetzal and The Red Hourglass. Her films have screened at festivals nationwide, and she is currently developing her feature film Unclaimed.

Amanda also writes Talk Cinema, Save Cinema on Substack, curates FilmStack Daily Digest, and edits FilmStack Deep Dive. She is currently launching I Am Cinema, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting cinematic artists and reconnecting audiences with cinema as an art form.

At the heart of her work is a belief in cinema as a deeply human art form, driven by personal vision, creative risk, and meaningful connection.

I believe….

that cinema should make you feel above all else, character and emotion come first

that the plot is not the story

that cinema should express humanity as authentically as possible

that form and style should serve the narrative, cinema should show not tell, and every choice should serve the narrative

that the why of the film is most important, there should be intention in every choice; camera angle, misc-en-scene, sound elements, editing, all should serve and reinforce the why

that cinema should express personal voice, without fear or apology

that cinema should have an impact (but not be didactic), that it should create empathy and unite us

that cinema should trust its audience and not pander to it

that cinema should leave room for interpretation, it should ask questions not shove answers down our throats

that cinema is not ‘content’

that cinema should be experienced in a theater with an audience

I believe that as cinema-makers….

we should focus on people over profit, treating everyone with dignity and respect

we should realize that collaboration is key, and be open to new ideas at every stage

we should build community, sharing information and resources with one another

we should act with integrity, do what we say we’ll do and own up to mistakes

we should admit that we do not know everything, and always be asking questions, especially “how can we make or do this better?

we should work to sustain a theatrical ecosystem, because shared viewing is essential to cinema’s power to inspire culture and empathy.