Savanah Leaf

Savanah Leaf (born 24 November 1993) is a British-American film director and video artist. Earth Mama, her BAFTA-winning debut feature length film, was produced by A24 and Film4, and premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Her directorial work includes the notable single-channel video run and "run002" which has exhibited at Hauser & Wirth, SFMOMA and Crystal Bridges Museum. Other work also includes music videos for Gary Clark, Jr.'s single This Land (Grammy Award for Best Music Video nominee).

Leaf is a former professional volleyball player and competed for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Early life and education Leaf was born in London, and raised in Vauxhall early in life, before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area when she was age 8. She did not know her father, and was raised by her mother. Leaf later received a Masters in Drama from Central Saint Martins, at Drama Centre London. Her mother, Alison Leaf, is a set dresser and animator, who has worked at Pixar and Industrial Light and Magic.

Career Early Years Leaf began her career out of college in professional volleyball. She played for volleyball clubs in Turkey, Puerto Rico, and France , before suffering a career-threatening injury. Deeply artistic since a young age, Leaf used her time sidelined by injury to pursue work in creative production companies. at a music video and production company. Soon after, Leaf began writing and directing her own short films and directing music videos for artists such as Gary Clark Jr. and Common. Her early work began to garner critical acclaim with Gary Clark Jr. 's "This Land" and her short documentary The Heart Still Hums. It was with this aforementioned documentary that the groundwork was laid

Leaf developed her film under Film4 Productions, which co-financed Earth Mama with A24, with the latter production company handling global distribution for the film. Leaf has stated the incredible support and freedom she received in developing her debut film under these two production companies. Production occurred throughout the Bay Area in San Francisco, Oakland, Vallejo, and Treasure Island. Leaf has stated the importance of authentically representing her upbringing's environment through her story.

Her film went on to premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. It went on to receive critical acclaim upon release, with overwhelming positive reviews from film critics

Many of the actors portrayed in Leaf's film were new actors or musicians - who she praised for their work ethic - or street cast as a way to have a more accurate portrayal of the Bay Area communities Earth Mama was representing. and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art .

Filmography Source: Feature films Year Title Director Writer Producer 2023 Earth Mama Short films Year Title Director Writer Notes 2016 F Word Narrative, also produced 2020 The Heart Still Hums Documentary, co-directed with Taylor Russell 2023 Run Experimental, also starred and executive produced 2024 Run 002 Experimental, also starred and executive produced Music Videos Year Title Director Writer Notes 2019 Gary Clark Jr.: This Land Marvin Gaye: What's Going on Shot Postmortem 2021 Jorja Smith: Addicted Co-directed with Jorja Smith

Reception of feature films +YearFilmRotten Tomatoes Metacritic BudgetBox OfficeNorth AmericaInternationalTotal Worldwide 2023 Earth Mama 97% (58 reviews) 84 (24 reviews) $2,000,000 ~ $5,000,000 n/a $6,406 n/a

Awards and nominations Year Title Associations Award Result Ref 2020 The Heart Still Hums Atlanta Film Festival Best Documentary Short Nashville Film Festival Blackstar Film Festival Gary Clark Jr.: This Land Grammy Awards Best Music Video