Lila at the world premiere of The Job of Songs at DOC NYC 2021.
About
Lila Schmitz is a filmmaker with experience making independent films from scratch and working on big budget projects as a part of a huge team. Her first feature THE JOB OF SONGS, an Irish music documentary that she directed, produced & edited, premiered at DOC NYC in 2021 and premiered internationally at the Galway Film Fleadh 2022, winning Best International Documentary. Her short documentary JAIEL aired on Rocky Mountain PBS, as did her short fiction film QUEER QAFÉ. Schmitz directed three music videos for the titular artist of her short documentary: Jaiel, and recently produced another called "Bet On Me". Her latest short film LOVE IN THE TIME OF CORONA has played LGBTQ+ festivals all over the United States and premiered internationally at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She has been producing in the documentary world (for PBS, CBS, Richard Linklater, Bill Guttentag) and spent a year working at Anonymous Content, learning about development and the business side of Hollywood. She currently works for a media company that makes unscripted comedy: Dropout TV.
Schmitz began her creative journey in theater, with acting, writing, directing, and stage managing, the last of which she interned for at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. She wrote a play called MACARON with funding from the Keller Family Venture Grant. She is also a singer and has written and arranged music for a number of films, including her film QUEER QAFÉ and the Human Rights Campaign video that she directed "Express Yourself. Vote."
In her work, Schmitz is committed to sharing stories that illuminate the quieter voices in our midst and highlight the types of communities human beings can create. She is determined to tell stories that listen.
Lila takes a necessary headshot.
Lila getting a shot of Michael Rebollo for love in the time of corona during the the Covid-19 pandemic.