LISA COLE
WRITER + DIRECTOR
Mother, filmmaker and global nomad, Lisa's lived with 201 families in 12 countries and shares stories of underrepresented voices embodying themes of neglect, empowerment, and redemption. She’s co-writer of GIRL NAMED SUE – (Winner Page Int’l Screenwriting Awards, La Femme Film Festival & Slamdance Top 10 Scripts, with Laura Bickford, Jean-Marc Vallee & Nathan Ross producing); and QUEEN OF NEWBURGH, Winner, Queen Palm Screenplay Contest and Second Rounder Sundance Development Track 2021 & 2022. Lisa is a Student Academy Awards Regional Finalist, Academy Nicholl Fellowship Quarterfinalist, WIF mentee, Cine Quo Non Lab Fellow 2021, ScreenCraft Fellowship Finalist, Stowe Story Labs Final Draft Fellow & recipient of the Samuel Arkoff Filmmaking Award. Her award-winning short films include SHIPWRECK, NYWIFT's 2020 Best Film Made During Lockdown and currently screening in 30+ Festivals including Official Selection Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase.
Lisa’s career includes documentaries for The Gates Foundation, Sundance Institute, Viacom, BET & A&E. A graduate of LMU’s School of Cinema & Television, Lisa serves on the Board of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, filmmaker Mark Monroe, and two children.
FUN FACTS ABOUT LISA
She lived with 201 host families in 12 countries in a span of 3 years.
Lisa dreams of owning a Mezcal brand and believes she must have Latin ancestry, although 23andme and Ancestry.com both claim she has none.
Her first job was serving beer at age 12 at a hotel pool bar In Arkansas.
She breastfed her adopted infant daughter for fifteen months much to the bewilderment of medical professionals, who really should know better.