Bio
VATSALA GOEL is an Indian cinematographer and camera operator based out of San Francisco & LA. Her work spans documentary, narrative and brand films.
Career highlights include world premieres at Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca & AFI Docs film festivals, a Peabody award nomination, an Academy Award shortlist, the Shine Award (Blackstar Film Festival) and the NAACP Image Award. She is a recipient of the American Society of Cinematographers’ Vision Mentorship program.
Vatsala was born and raised in Kolkata, India, and received her MFA in cinematography at the prestigious Film and Television Institute, India.
SELECT ClientS:
Brand: Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Salesforce, Dropbox, Curology, Patreon, Eventbrite, Sony, 23&me, Hollister Documentary and Non-Profit: Netflix, HBO Documentaries, MTV Documentaries, Firelight Films, ITVS, VICE, Refinery29, Tribeca Studios, TIME, Scientific American, The Documentary Group, Working Films, SF Jazz Agency: Culture House, Good Company, Godfrey Dadich Partners, Attn: Inc TV & Broadcast: PBS, CBS, BET, ABC, World Channel, Awesomeness TV
View interview samples here.
Festival highlights and awards:
“Before it breaks” premiered at the True/ False film festival in March, 2023 (producer, DP). “Storming Caesars Palace” screened in competition at Big Sky film festival, 2023, and was the opening night feature film at Blackstar Film Festival, 2022 (co-DP), it won the Shine Award in competition. “Battleground” premiered in competition at Tribeca Film Festival 2022 (Addnl Cinematography). “Sell/Buy/Date” premiered at the SXSW Film Festival, 2022 (Camera Operator/ LA). “Lynching Postcards: Token of a great day” was nominated for a Peabody Award, shortlisted for the Academy Awards, won a NAACP Image Award and was selected documentary of the week by WNYC Studios in 2022 (co-DP). “Aggie”, premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2020, and is now streaming on Amazon (co-DP). The narrative short “Blood and Glory” premiered and was nominated for Best Short Film in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival 2020 and won the grand jury prize at WIM’s Camaraderie competition (DP). In 2019, Chromosome 19 and A Tale of Two Kitchens (streaming on Netflix) premiered at Tribeca film festival. “The Train Leaves at Four” was on NFDC Film Bazaar "Viewing Room" list in 2015 and premiered in the “India Story” showcase at MAMI Film Festival (DP).
Available for domestic and international travel jobs
Experienced in filming with 35 mm, 16mm, ARRI, RED, Sony, Panasonic, Canon and Blackmagic cameras
Languages: English, Hindi, Bengali (native proficiency) Marathi, Urdu, Bundeli (conversational proficiency)
Selected Screenings
“Before it breaks” world premiere at True/ False Film Festival, Columbia, MO, March 2023.
“Storming Caesars Palace” world premier & opening night feature film at Blackstar Film Festival, 2022. Nominated best feature film in competition. Big Sky film festival, Montana, March 2023.
“Battleground” world premier in competition at Tribeca Film Festival, 2022
“Sell/Buy/Date” world premier at SXSW 2022, SFFILM Festival 2022
“Lynching Postcards: Token of a great day” shortlisted for the Academy Awards 2022, nominated for the Peabody award 2022, winner NAACP Image Award 2022 and named Documentary of the week by WNYC Studios. Premiere at Doc NYC 2021 & AFI Docs 2021.
“Blood and Glory” Tribeca Film Festival (world premier), NY, 2020
“Aggie” Sundance Film Festival (world premier), Park City UT 2020; Doc Fortnight, Museum of Modern Art, NY, 2020; Hammer Museum, LA, 2020; AFI Docs Film Festival, Washington D.C., 2021
“A Tale of Two Kitchens” Tribeca Film Festival (world premier & NY premier), NY 2019; Streaming on Netflix
“Chromosome 19” (world premier) Tribeca Film Festival, NY2019
“Through the walls” Oakland International Film Festival, CA 2019
“From Baghdad to the Bay” Ojai Film Festival, CA 2018; Mill Valley Film Festival, CA 2018; Cinequest, CA 2018; Female Filmmakers Fuse Film Festival, CA 2018
“Guillaume” Albany Film Festival, CA, 2017; I Hella Love Shorts Film Festival, Oakland, 2016; Scary Cow Film Festival, San Francisco, 2016
“The Train Leaves at Four” NCPA Reality Check & Indian Documentary Producer's Association co-presentation at NCPA, Mumbai, 2017; National Competetion, 14th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), Mumbai 2016; NFDC India Film Bazaar's Recommended "Viewing Room" 2015 List; India Story, 17th MAMI Mumbai International Film Festival, Mumbai, 2015; 21st Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), Kolkata, 2015
“Virag” CLAPSTICK Film Festival, SRFTI Kolkata, 2014; 6th Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) Jaipur, 2014; National Student Film Awards, Pune, 2013; 44th International Film Festival of India, Goa, 2013; International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerela, 2013; 11th Kalpanirjhar Short Film Festival, Kolkata, 2013
“Khara Karodpati” 34th Clermont- Ferrand International Short Film Festival, France, 2012; Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, 2012; Bollywood and Beyond, Germany, 2012; Nepal Cine Symposium, Nepal, 2012; Indian Film Festival, Houston, USA, 2012
Speaking Engagements
Cinematography Panel, Video Consortium X SF Film, Dec 2022, San Francisco
SFSU Cinema Collective guest speaker, Fall 2021 AMA on Cinematography
Language of Light: Communicating with Cinematographers, hosted by Film Fatales Global, 2021 panelist along with Nancy Schreiber, ASC & Rose Bush, moderated by Chithra Jeyaram
Sony FX3 Worldwide Launch, 2021 Sony Cine USA, panelist
“Include” series guest, 2021 hosted by Maithily Bhupatkar, Industrial psychologist.
Getting Real Conference, 2020 Documentary Cinematography Panel
Indian Women Cinematographers Collective, 2020 Seminar on contracts and professional practices for cinematographers.
Art & Photography Exhibitions
Pin-up Group Show, photographs Dickerman Prints, San Francisco, 2014.
Khoj Artist Residency, 2014.
Group show, Sadakchchap Street Photography Intervention, Pune, 2013.
Group show, photographs at Open Show Pune II, 2013.
Group show, video art at Clarion Collection, New Delhi, 2008.
Group show, photographs at Musée de l'Élysée, France, 2007.
Group Show, "Black and Red", paintings at St Xavier's Annual Art Exhibition, Kolkata, 2005.
Group Show, paintings at Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata, 2005.
The eye is the jewel of the body
~Henry David Thoreau