Kate Harpootlian is a director, choreographer and screenwriter whose sharp storytelling ranges from darkly comedic to beautifully heart-rending. A restless pursuit for personal challenge and growth has led to a wide-ranging career that has given her the skills to glide effortlessly between the different mediums of producing visual narratives. Whether as a creator of movement, cinematic visuals, or written words, Kate excels in the creation of story.
Kate began her career as a professional dancer with credits that include Shaping Sound Dance Company, JLO AMA’s, Carrie Underwood’s “Something in the Water,” Dancing with the Stars, Merce Cunningham’s "Inlets II", Boardwalk Empire, Ellen, SYTYCD Season 12, Billy Bell’s Lunge Dance Collective, works by Jason Parsons, and In The Heights.
Although Kate excelled in her career as professional dancer, her true love was always choreography. She was the runner-up at the Capezio Ace awards for choreography in 2016 and was given the opportunity to premiere her work, Better Late Than Never, at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, which was later brought to Jacob’s Pillow’s Inside Out Festival. Her choreography credits include Insitu Site Specific Festival, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Martha Graham Next Wave Festival, Steps Performance Lab, Lindenwood University, John Hopkins Peabody Conservatory, and assistant choreographer of the The Wrong Man at MCC Theatre.
As the pandemic shut down much of the dance industry, Kate decided to take on a new challenge and enrolled at The New School. She graduated a year early in 2022, summa cum laude with a degree in film production. Her short film “Anyone Who Knows” has played at numerous festivals including Cinequest, San Francisco Dance Film Festival, Indie Memphis, Portland Film Festival and was a finalist at Dance Camera West. She has two other short films, “At First Sight” and “Artifice”, hitting the festival circuit in 2024.  Her script, How To Start A Cult, was the comedy genre selection for the ISA Fast Track Fall fellowship and a top ten finalist for Cinequest.
  • Producer (3 Credits)
    Artifice2024
    Short
    At First Sight 2024
    Short
    Anyone Who Knows 2023
    Short
  • Director (3 Credits)
    Artifice2024
    Short
    At First Sight 2024
    Short
    Anyone Who Knows 2023
    Short
Award Nominee
Anyone Who Knows
Dance Camera West
Los Angeles
2024
Official Selection
Anyone Who Knows
Portland Film Festival
Portland
2023
Official Selection
Anyone Who Knows
New York Shorts International Film Festival
New York
2023
Official Selection
Anyone Who Knows
Indie Memphis Film Festival
Memphis
2023
Official Selection
Anyone Who Knows
Portland Dance Film Festival
Portland, Oregon
2023
Official Selection
Anyone Who Knows
San Francisco Dance Film Festival
San Francisco
2023
College
The New School
BS in Liberal Arts with a minor in Filmmaking
20202022
Current City
New York, NY
Hometown
Columbia, SC
Gender
Female
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