Whitney Skauge

WHITNEY SKAUGE (they/them) is Director/Editor working in documentary film. Skauge uses their work as an extension of social and political activism, advocating for diverse storytelling and representation on both sides of the camera. Skauge is a recent recipient of the Emerging Black LGBTQ+ Filmmaker Award from Newfest: The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival and a member of the inaugural GLAAD “Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative” for Black LGBTQ+ filmmakers. Their debut short film, The Beauty President, honors AIDS activist and drag artist Terence Alan Smith. The film premiered at SXSW in March 2021 and was produced by Academy Award®-winning company Breakwater Studios and Executive Produced by Lena Waithe and Rishi Rajani of Hillman Grad Productions. Highlighted screenings include the BlackStar Film Festival, AFI Docs, Frameline: San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, the Camden International Film Festival, Outfest: Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival, Hollyshorts, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, and dozens of other festivals around the world. In addition to festivals, The Beauty President was shown in art institutions such as The Leslie Lohman Museum in New York City, The Fowler Museum at UCLA, and The Crenshaw Dairy Mart in Los Angles. In October 2021, the film launched the inaugural short documentary program at the Los Angeles Times, LA Times Short Docs. Over the past decade, Skauge has been committed to supporting other filmmakers through their professional work with The Sundance Insitute, Interloper Films, Women In Film, and Breakwater Studios. In recent years, Skauge has served as a juror at The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Outfest: Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival, Salute Your Shorts Film Festival, and the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival.