Michelle West

Michelle West is an award-winning director whose work confronts societal norms. Minnesota-born with Jersey-roots, her research into ancestry and epigenetic trauma has inspired her films to depict healing, liberation, and empowerment for women both past and present. Her latest short, Lesbophilia, an absurdist dark comedy starring Vico Ortiz (Our Flag Means Death) and Lana Parrilla (Once Upon A Time), hits the festival circuit in 2024. She’s currently in post on her dramatic period short, Lineage, about abortion during the Great Depression. With over 17 years in entertainment, Michelle has experience as a producer, assistant director, and actor; is a graduate of the UCLA TFT Program for Acting; is a member of the DGA, Women in Film, and Alliance of Women Directors; and runs the Semester in LA program for Columbia College Chicago.