Mariah Garnett is a filmmaker and artist who blends documentary and narrative experimental filmmaking practices to create work that engages with existing people and communities through immediate experience. By utilizing a variety of source materials, including found text and personal narratives, Garnett creates cinematic allegories that navigate and articulate identity. Her films critically assess the traditional hierarchies between filmmaker and subject, particularly in terms of economic, racial, and gender privilege. Through her work, which often reflects a queer perspective, she addresses the complexities of identity and the desire for connection while acknowledging historical legacies of abuse and the phenomenon of 'othering.' Garnett holds a Master of Fine Arts in Film/Video from CalArts and a Bachelor of Arts in American Civilization from Brown University. She is a 2019 Guggenheim Fellow and has received several awards, including from the Rema Hort Mann Foundation and Artadia Los Angeles. Her work has been showcased internationally at venues such as the New Museum, Hammer Museum, and Sundance Film Festival, and she currently resides and works in Los Angeles.
University of California, San Diego • La Jolla, CA
Teaches courses in film and visual arts, focusing on documentary and experimental practices.