Filmmaker, Trilogy Films
Dawn Porter is a filmmaker, attorney, and founder of Trilogy Films, specializing in feature-length documentaries. Her directorial debut, Gideon’s Army, focused on public defenders working in the Deep South. The film premiered to critical and audience praise at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival where it won the award for Best Editing. After a successful festival run, Gideon’s Army premiered on HBO and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award and an Emmy. Close on the heels of Gideon’s Army, her second film, Spies of Mississippi, was broadcast on Independent Lens to high ratings and critical acclaim in February of 2014. Realscreen named her one of 2012 Doc Hot Shots 15 Emerging Directors to Watch. She was awarded the San Francisco DocFest Best Director Award, and asked to give a keynote on the role of women and minorities in film at the IDA conference in the fall of 2014. Dawn is a Keppler speaker, traveling the country to address audiences on issues of judicial reform, civil rights, and indigent defense. She has appeared on The Daily Show with John Stewart, and is a returning guest on MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry Show.
