“…one can only welcome a film like Alexandra Shiva’s “This Is Home”…Laela Kilbourn’s bright, unfussy lensing and Toby Shimin’s similarly efficient, economical editing make few stylistic intrusions on the subject matter: The American Dream, after all, is a pretty no-frills proposition to these new arrivals, and “This Is Home” presents it accordingly.” – Variety
Frame & Reference podcast episode 134: "Girls State" DP Laela Kilbourn
"Frame & Reference is a conversation between cinematographers hosted by Kenny McMillan. Each episode dives into the respective DP's current and past work, as well as what influences and inspires them. These discussions are an entertaining and informative look in to the world of making films through the lens of the people who shoot them."
Documentary First - Podcast Episode 217: Award Winning Cinematography w/ Laela Kilbourn
"In this episode, host Christian Taylor and guest-host Chad Gilchrist interview award-winning cinematographer Laela Kilbourn. They discuss her work on the documentary film GIRLS STATE, which premiered at Sundance 2024. Laela shares her experiences working with directors and the importance of trust in the DP-director relationship; she also explains the role of prime lenses in cinematography; and shares her journey in the film industry, from starting as a film loader to becoming a cinematographer. She discusses the challenges of advancing in the industry and the need to take risks and make sacrifices to pursue your passion. The impact of strikes and COVID-19 on the industry is also discussed; Laela emphasizes the changing landscape of filmmaking and the opportunities available to new filmmakers. She provides advice for aspiring filmmakers with limited resources and highlights the importance of collaboration. Last of all, Laela shares her experience filming underground in New York and recommends two documentaries: MORENA(S) and SENNA."
NYWIFT @ Sundance: In Conversation with Laela Kilbourn
"NYWIFT member Laela Kilbourn was one of seven cinematographers on GIRLS STATE, assigned to follow one of the protagonists throughout her week-long journey. "I was interested and excited by the fact that they wanted to make a film following the story of girls engaged in political processes and democratic power: I think we need more films about girls, in all their complexity and with all their ambitions...In verité work I am always aiming to be as low impact as possible: to remain alert and observant yet unobtrusive, and to anticipate where events might go so as to put the camera in the right place at the right moment.""
GIRLS STATE featured in ICG Magazine Sundance 2024 preview: "Forgive and Forget?"
"Life lessons were also garnered by Local 600 Director of Photography Laela Kilbourn, whose upcoming Girls State marks her eighth documentary feature premiere at Sundance. Kilbourn was one of seven cinematographers tasked with following one of the hundreds of teenagers who make up Co-Directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ companion feature to Boys State (which won the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2020). In Girls State, viewers are put inside the world of youth politics, as the female teens attempt to build a representative government in the state of Missouri that includes running for governor and Supreme Court seats and presiding over a reproductive-rights case while the real-life overturning of Roe v. Wade hung in the balance. Kilbourn says filming Girls State "was complex and exhilarating. Seven DP’s [were] working simultaneously and independently yet meshing as a team, incorporating our separate creative decisions in real time, all captained by Amanda and Jesse. I was privileged to witness my assigned girl’s journey – she was smart, motivated, focused; wrestling with social, political, and systemic issues alongside other girls she was encountering for the first time; and she was very much engaged in the process. To see young women who have it within themselves to make a serious impact on the nature of our democratic experience was to feel a cautious measure of hope.""
From Canon Europe: Why aren't there more women in filmmaking?
"Cinematography is a particularly male-dominated area of the film industry – according to the annual Celluloid Ceiling report, just 5% of the cinematographers on the 250 top grossing films of 2019 were women. Laela Kilbourn (left) and Claudia Raschke are trying to raise the profile of women in the industry and encourage more women to consider a career in filmmaking...
What holds women back most of all, according to Laela, are the "calculations people make in their heads that they don't even voice. They don't offer you the job, they don't look at your reel, they don't recommend you to someone, all because they unconsciously think you're not qualified – or they think a man they just worked with is more qualified – and they don't even know why they think that," she says. "Both men and women are guilty of doing this."
More open conversation and analysis of our inherent biases is needed in order to effect change, along with recommending women for jobs. "People in the industry have to be willing to extend offers of work to people they wouldn't necessarily have thought of first," she says. "There might be someone you never expected who could just transform the situation for you, and bring something to it that you'd never have thought of."
DOC NYC PRO: The Invisible Cinematographer Paradox
Master Your Craft: Cinematagraphy - Cinematographers Rudy Valdez (The Sentence), Laela Kilbourn (This Is Home: A Refugee Story), Iris Ng (Shirkers), and Ryan Scafuro (Phantom Cowboys) discuss objectivity and subjectivity in observational filmmaking. Moderated by Amir Husak (The New School).
Filming THIS IS HOME: Behind the scenes interview with Laela Kilbourn presented by Canon Pro
"In the documentary This is Home, cinematographer Laela Kilbourn tells the story of Syrian refugees adjusting to life in Baltimore. When filming intimate family moments, a compact setup was vital...In this testimonial, Laela discusses her experiences making the film and utilizing Canon gear to tell the story."
American Cinematographer and Canon Creative Studio Present: Documentary Cinematography
"When shooting documentaries, you need the right tools to pick up and go. Acclaimed non-fiction filmmakers Graham Willoughby, Laela Kilbourn, and Max Preiss chat about the gear they use to capture cinematic cinéma vérité and beautiful, impactful real life stories. Panel moderated by American Cinematographer contributor Jay Holben."
ICG Magazine's Generation Next: Laela Kilbourn
"Meet the next generation of Local 600 Cinematographers - inspired, enlightened, and diverse.
According to Cheryl Furjanic, director of the documentary feature Sync or Swim, Kilbourn goes all in. "Laela lives and breathes the projects she's on," describes Furjanic. "I've seen her do this from the dark bars in New York City to Olympic Stadiums in Athens. She sees your vision and takes it further.""
CineD Interview: Sundance 2018 - Meet the Cinematographers: Laela Kilbourn
"It’s that magical time of year when filmmakers flock to Park City, Utah. We’re giving you a brief on the cinematographers who are showcasing their work at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival – one DP at a time."
MovieMaker Magazine - What's in Your Kit: Cinematographer Laela Kilbourn
"For our series What’s in Your Kit, we ask a range of working cinematographers to share the gear they can’t live without. This week, Laela Kilbourn, DP of the documentary How to Dance in Ohio, reveals what’s in her kit."
Listen: Podcast Interview by Movie Geeks United - The Art of Cinematography: Laela Kilbourn
"Season 3 of the Movie Geeks United Art of Cinematography series kicks off with Laela Kilbourn, an artist who has achieved acclaim for her contributions to a series of beloved documentaries, including American Teen, Word Wars and the upcoming How to Dance in Ohio, which premieres on HBO."
Indiewire picks Laela Kilbourn as one of 8 More Female Cinematographers You Should Know About
"Late last year, we published a list of eight female cinematographers you should know about. The response was immediate and overwhelming. Readers wrote in to suggest other female DPs to include in the list. While the original list was, in no way, meant to be comprehensive, given the larger underrepresentation of female cinematographers...we felt it was worth shining attention on eight more women who are making strides in the field. Below we highlight eight more female cinematographers you should know about regardless of their gender."
Filmmaker Interview: Cinematographer Laela Kilbourn on Shooting Sundance Competition Doc, HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO
"With documentary credits such as Magic Camp, My Brooklyn and Word Wars, cinematographer Laela Kilbourn entered Alexandra Shiva’s How to Dance in Ohio with a specific challenge, which she discusses below: to sensitively film without disrupting teens and young adults with autism. How to Dance in Ohio is a film following three teenage girls as they prepare for one pivotal rite of youth passage through three months of practice, rehearsal and therapy. Below, Kilbourn discusses Canon cameras, lighting for trust and more."
ICG Magazine Interview - Crowning Achievement: DP Laela Kilbourn and director Alexandra Shiva talk about the challenges of filming HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO
"It's tempting to see the new documentary How to Dance in Ohio, which HBO picked up just before this year's Sundance Film Festival, as a bookend to cinematographer Laela Kilbourn's award-winning 2008 Sundance doc, American Teen. Both take place in Middle America and center on young people on the cusp of momentous change and challenge. But Kilbourn, whose resume includes more than two-dozen documentary features, says the similarities end there...Thanks (in no small part) to Kilbourn's intimate camerawork, How to Dance in Ohio swirls through territory more familiar than we might ever imagine."
Watch: Canon Creative Studio Presents: The Female Perspective - Women in Cinematography
"Canon Creative Studio and the 2015 Sundance Film Festival present a conversation with three cinematographers who happen to be women. Rachel Morrison "Cake", "Dope", "Fruitvale Station", Laela Kilbourn "How to Dance in Ohio", and Dagmar Weaver-Madsen "Unexpected" talk about what it’s like to be female in a historically male profession."
ICG Magazine Interview - American Teen: Laela Kilbourn
"explains Kilbourn..."The trick with documentaries is to pay such close attention to your subjects that you try to anticipate their actions. Listening to what’s going on around you is just as important as what you’re seeing through the viewfinder in that regard: the more you listen the better the chance the camera will be in the right place at the right time to capture that magic moment.”...Kilbourn likens the role of documentary cinematographer to low-impact camping, where “leave no trace” is the abiding aesthetic."
ICG Magazine Interview: Non-fiction Filming - 2004 Sundance Documentaries Try to Make a Difference
"An interview with Joan Churchill, Sandi Sissel, and Laela Kilbourn allows a small glimpse into how this year's Sundance documentary films came about with each cinematographer taking a leading part in their productions. How did they feel about their responsibilities as cinematographer and how did they participate in the film's storytelling?..."It wasn't easy," says Kilbourn, "because it took some time to learn the rules of Scrabble, which is a very strategic game. The main problem is that much of the game takes place inside the player's head. You need to capture the visible, but you also need to capture the thought process of each player...the relationship between the two directors and I became very important. I was paying attention to the shooting and the potential editing while they were thinking about the words and the anagrams from the point of view of the Scrabble players.""
Reviews for DEATH OF A FOOL
“Not quite zany, but not exactly dryly sardonic either, it exists somewhere in-between. While that might sound like a strange area to occupy, the film wholly commits itself to it…Death of a Fool is highly original, perfectly acted, and strikes a unique tone all its own.” – Film Threat
Reviews for THIS IS HOME: A REFUGEE STORY
“…America and Americans are many things, but I was reminded of how simultaneously bewildering, charming, generous and scary this place can be while watching a new documentary called This Is Home, about four Syrian refugee families who relocated to Baltimore just months before Donald Trump was sworn into office. The film premiered at Sundance this year, and I think its gentle humor may have surprised those who were expecting a grim refugee tale.” – Susanna Schrobsdorff, Time Magazine
Reviews for SWIM TEAM
“The Bottom Line: Instructive and Inspiring…..Documentarian Lara Stolman follows a trio of autistic athletes as they learn to compete and reach for independent adulthood…her concern is always the individuality of her subjects, well captured in the fluent camerawork of Laela Kilbourn” – The Hollywood Reporter
“‘Swim Team’ will take you on an emotional roller coaster…[Lara] Stolman’s direction mastered with Laela Kilbourn’s photography made for an inciting documentary. Few swim films make you feel like you are in the water, for moments it did just that.” – The Knockturnal
“Technically as well as emotionally, this is a film that hooks you: Director of photography Laela Kilbourn captures some beautiful aquatic photography.” – Edge Media Network
“Perhaps the most effective moments are the underwater shots. Cinematographer Laela Kilbourn beautifully captures the unlikely combination of tension and grace in each of the young men’s swimming techniques. Robbie’s mastery of the butterfly is particularly beautiful to watch. Kilbourn’s underwater footage of Kelvin’s smooth swimming style is in sharp contrast to the uncontrolled movements and tics above the surface.” – Film Forward
“Making a splash…an exceptional documentary on what it means to come together for a common goal under extraordinary circumstances…” – Eye For Film
“…a film that’s both eye-opening and heart-opening…Thumbs Up!” – RogerEbert.com
“This autistic swim team proved everyone wrong” – New York Post
“New Documentary Follows Team of Autistic Swimmers…’Swim Team’ is a documentary about a group of children who ultimately defy all odds…The messages of ‘Swim Team’ are strong: Don’t allow others to set your limits for you, and hard work is the key to success, regardless of what you pursue.” – Sports Illustrated Kids
“In ‘Swim Team,’ Autism Is No Barrier to Competition” – The New York Times
Reviews for HENRY DAVID THOREAU: SURVEYOR OF THE SOUL
“If you are not yet a Thoreau enthusiast, this beautiful, engrossing documentary just might turn you into one. If you already are, it will remind you of the many reasons why.” – Lucille Stott, Appalachia
“…this documentary capturing important aspects of Thoreau’s life and writings is highly recommended.” – Video Librarian
Reviews for HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO
“Top 5 TV: #2 How to Dance in Ohio documents the struggles of young autistic adults (HBO)” – Rolling Stone
“A touching, gentle-hearted look at teenagers on the autistic spectrum preparing for their first formal dance, How to Dance in Ohio offers a refreshingly upbeat, even cheerful look at people and their families coping with the condition” – The Hollywood Reporter
“HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO is a must-see, inspirational film that will open your eyes and warm your heart.” – FirstShowing.net
“Sundance Film Festival 2015 Wrap Up: Our Top Five Favorite Documentary Features…HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO subtly breaks down misconceptions of autistic people and showcases the “neurodiversity” of its subjects. It is the kind of movie set up to have you cheering from the sidelines” – International Business Times
“Our Favorite People and Movies at Sundance This Year: The Kids of HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO…Watching them learn not only how to dance, but how to overcome fears and anxieties might be the most uplifting thing we saw at Sundance” – Wired
Reviews for AMERICAN TEEN
“It’s well shot, with good production values” – The Hollywood Reporter
“[Post Logic Colorist Doug] Delaney says of the original material, ‘I was impressed. The cinematographer did very nice work.’” – DV Magazine cover story August Issue 2008
“…the footage was well-shot and extremely candid…never has a film captured the spirit of being a teenager better” – Film Threat
“AMERICAN TEEN is one of the best movies of 2008…shows how a documentary can be as moving and suspenseful as the best narrative film.” – San Francisco Chronicle
“the best film of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival” – iFilm.com
“…so escapes the consumer clichés of 21st-century teen culture, that the movie has the feel not of a soap opera but of a richly packed novel.” – Owen Gleiberman, EW.com
“See it!” – Ebert and Roeper
Reviews for WORD WARS
“the filmmakers manage to get extraordinarily intimate glimpses of their subjects’ lives, and it’s in these moments, more than the Scrabble games themselves, that WORD WARS is the most fascinating.” – The Washington Post
“a thoroughly entertaining and hilarious look at a board game that’s an occasional amusement for some – and a serious obsession (or disturbing addiction) for others” – The San Francisco Chronicle
“proves to be a priceless slice of Americana” – Box Office Magazine
“Two thumbs up!” – Ebert and Roeper
Reviews for SYNC OR SWIM
“Interwoven with candid interviews and impressive underwater footage, SYNC OR SWIM will make you want to head poolside and cheer them all the way to the podium.” – Minjae Ormes, Silverdocs
“Some folks may scoff at labeling bespangled, glittery women splashing about ‘athletes’, but the fascinating doc SYNC OR SWIM about the 2004 US Olympic synchronized swimming team, will change your mind.” – New York Post
“Juxtaposing scenes that are intense and emotional, uplifting and mesmerizing, humorous and heart breaking, SYNC OR SWIM offers a candid, intimate look at this misunderstood sport that is so much more than sequins and smiles.” – Mat Luebbers, About.com
Reviews for SANDHOGS
“should be required viewing for every New Yorker.” – New York Post
“Engaging show about dangerous, rarely seen work…The series goes underground with the Sandhogs, showing exactly how they bore massive tunnels through the earth. It’s a fascinating look at a dangerous, complicated job and the tough men who do it.” – Common Sense Media
Reviews for JUNE WEDDINGS
“A visually stunning piece, JUNE WEDDINGS successfully used muted lighting to produce a subtle and melancholy mood… Technically very well done, the film showed skill and keen insight into human nature .” – DC Shorts Film Festival
“With intense performances and Cassavetes-style camera work, JUNE WEDDINGS is a visceral look into the lives of two lonely people.” – Austin Film Festival
“In these days of non-stop action, JUNE WEDDINGS is a grown-up feast…it’s not since ‘My Dinner with Andre’ that we were reminded of the immense power of pointed dialogue and nuanced relationships.” – San Francisco International Festival of Short Films
Reviews for TRIAL BY FIRE: LIVES REFORGED
“…”Trial by Fire: Lives Re-Forged” is a gripping, emotionally potent, often startling documentary about a remarkable group of burn survivors and their physical and psychological triumphs over adversity.” – Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times
Reviews for MAGIC CAMP
“5 out of 5 stars…Even watching close up and knowing where to look, it’s still hard to catch the trick of the trick. A very enjoyable film that will make you smile sometime and tear up at others.” – Terra King, Examiner
Reviews for BAR TALK
“The question remains: is there one among our ranks who can break the enigmatic code of silent cool? Cheryl Furjanic answers the challenge with her digital video fiction short BAR TALK…. Furjanic attributes the film’s success in large part to the talents of her small but capable crew, including producer Alexis Fish and Director of Photography Laela Kilbourn, who, as she puts it, ‘was able to put those storyboards onto tape.’” – Melanie Turpin, NEFilm.com