Filming Seattle-based teacher Claudia Garcia in action. Photo courtesy of John Nimmo.
About Filiz:
Filiz Efe McKinney is a Turkish-American documentary filmmaker based in Seattle, Washington, and the creative force behind Brave Sprout Productions. Her work champions diversity, equity, and inclusion, using film as a powerful tool to provoke emotional understanding and stimulate community dialogue. Through her films, Families Embracing Anti-Bias Values" (2024) and Reflecting on Anti-Bias Education in Action: The Early Years (2021), Filiz aims to drive organizational and cultural change.
A University of Washington graduate, Filiz is a multidisciplinary filmmaker with a Master of Communication in Digital Media, a Master of Arts in Communication Strategies and Public Relations, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cinematography.
What does it look like when you put equity at the heart of what you do? “Reflecting on Anti-bias Education in Action: The Early Years” (48 minutes) is a documentary that highlights how eight west coast early childhood teachers are doing just that. Weaving together candid interviews with scenes of daily activities, play, and conversations with the children about their families and communities, the film visualizes how these teachers incorporate their identities and anti-bias principles into their daily work. In addition to being a resource for educators, the film is a provocation to anyone looking for strategies to support young children in building a more just world.
Filming for Reflecting on Anti-Bias Education in Action: The Early Years took place in Seattle, WA and San Francisco/CA. Shown here is Seattle-based teacher Joyce Jackson working with her students and project collaborators (from left to right): Cinematographer Jonah Kozlowski, Associate Professor/Project Co-Leader John Nimmo and Director Filiz Efe McKinney. Photo courtesy of Project Co-Leader Debbie LeeKeenan.
Debbie LeeKeenan, Filiz Efe McKinney, John Nimmo (2021)
Teaching Filmmaking Fundamentals at Northwest Film Forum. Photo courtesy of Jonah Kozlowski.