Vanessa Ellis is a filmmaker with a penchant for the offbeat. Through impressionistic storytelling and a vibrant indie style, she explores the intimacy of strangeness and the strangeness of intimacy. Queer, female, and disabled perspectives guide Vanessa’s practice, shaping the narratives she weaves, the composition of her beloved creative teams, and the ethos of her film sets. She takes pride in fostering supportive production spaces where solidarity and joy are fundamental to the process, and nobody is allowed to suffer (except her).

Vanessa is a current student in Syracuse University's 3 year Film MFA program. She completed her undergraduate education at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. At Smith, Vanessa double majored in English and Film and Media Studies (with a focus in production), co-presided over the student film production club Don't Blink Media, and served as a Film and Media Studies Department Liaison. She wrote, directed, and edited a handful of short films, and had a blast working on the crew of at least ten more student productions.

Vanessa grew up near Salem, Massachusetts, which sparked her passion for the strange and unusual. She first started working with digital film in high school. After using a couple of camcorders to co-produce an egregiously long mockumentary about a cryptic monster lurking behind the school, she knew she had a future in media production.