Sports, Documentary

Director Julia Kupiec’s passion for filmmaking was sparked during a high school film class. A young, dynamic teacher inspired her to embrace a “just start making stuff” attitude. In her final year, she submitted a music video to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s student competition. While she didn’t win, an encouraging email from a judge gave her the confidence to pursue directing and apply to NYU’s film program.

Julia’s time at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts was transformative. Her exploration extended beyond film to philosophy, psychology and writing, enriching her storytelling capabilities. Being surrounded by exceptionally talented peers taught her the importance of dropping ego to foster improvement.

After graduating, Julia supported herself as a camera assistant and cinematographer. This heavily influenced her collaborative directorial approach and visual style. As a director, photographer and occasional painter, her creative identity is deeply intertwined with themes of disillusionment, growth, vulnerability and the necessary pain that comes with those.

Julia’s commercial work and music videos have been featured at Raindance Film Festival, Director’s Library, Boooom TV, Director’s Notes and Fusion Film Festival, where she won Best Music Video for Truth. She has directed content for the US Air Force, UMass and Columbia Records.