Aaron Kopp is an award-winning filmmaker and national Emmy-nominated cinematographer who grew up in the Kingdom of Eswatini. Aaron shot and co-produced the Academy Award-winning documentary about acid attacks in Pakistan, Saving Face. He was also cinematographer for the Academy Award-nominated Sundance film, The Hunting Ground, about sexual assault on college campuses. He has worked around the world on films for HBO, Netflix Originals, National Geographic, Discovery, UK Channel4, CBS, CNN, and PBS. Aaron was awarded grants from the MacArthur Foundation and the Doha Film Institute for his feature directorial debut, LIYANA. The film has won over 35 awards at international festivals including the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the LA Film Festival and the Knight Documentary Achievement Award. LIYANA recently premiered on Sundance Now.
AWARDS & GRANTS
2022 Virgin Unite Social Impact Fund Award
2019 Cinema Eye Honors Nomination Outstanding Animation (LIYANA)
2019 Top 5 Best Feature Documentaries (LIYANA) - Alliance of Women Film Journalists
2019 Top 20 Best Family Films of 2018 (LIYANA) - Huffington Post
2019 Top 10 Best Documentaries of 2018 (LIYANA) - Awards Circuit
2018 Knight Documentary Achievement Award (LIYANA) - Miami Film Festival
2018 Audience Award Feature Documentary (LIYANA) - Ashland Independent Film Festival
2018 Festival Prize Best Animated Feature (LIYANA) - Black Film Festival Montreal
2018 Audience Award Best in Fest (LIYANA) - Brattleboro Film Festival
2018 Greg Gund Memorial Award Nominee (LIYANA) - Cleveland International Film Festival
2018 Audience Award Best Feature Film (LIYANA) - Festival del Cinema Africano Verona
2018 Best Documentary Award (LIYANA) - Festival Sayulita
2018 Film Discoveries Fern Flower Award (LIYANA) - Festiwal Filmowy Kino Dzieci
2018 Gryphon Award GEX DOC Best Film (LIYANA) -Giffoni Film Festival
2018 Best Cinematography Nominee (DIME SHORT) - Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema
2018 Grand Nile Prize Freedom Films (LIYANA) - Luxor African Film Festival
2018 Special Jury Award (LIYANA) - Montclair Film Festival
2018 Jury Award Best Feature Documentary (LIYANA) - Olympia International Film Festival
2018 Jury Special Mention Award for Creative Storytelling (LIYANA) - Oxford Film Festival
2018 John Schlesinger Award Nominee (LIYANA) - Palm Springs International Film Festival
2018 Jury Prize Best International Documentary (LIYANA) - Rincon International Film Festival
2018 Best of Festival Award (LIYANA) - Roxbury International Film Festival
2018 Audience Favorite Feature (LIYANA) - Roxbury International Film Festival
2018 Director’s Choice Award Best Documentary (LIYANA) - Sedona International Film Festival
2018 People’s Choice Award Best Documentary (LIYANA) - Vancouver South African Film Festival
2018 Best Animated Female Nominee (LIYANA) - Women Film Critics Circle Awards
2018 Jury Special Mention Award (LIYANA) - ZagrebDox
2018 SIGNIS Award Special Commendation (LIYANA) - Zanzibar International Film Festival
2017 Grand Prize Documentary Feature (LIYANA) - Heartland International Film Festival
2017 Grand Prize Feature Film (LIYANA) - New York International Children’s Film Festival
2017 Best Documentary Nominee (LIYANA) - Indiana Film Journalists Association
2017 Spirit of Freedom Narrative Award (LIYANA) - Bahamas International Film Festival
2017 Audience Award Best Film (LIYANA) - BendFilm Festival
2017 Jury Award Best of Show (LIYANA) - BendFilm Festival
2017 People’s Choice Award Documentary (LIYANA) - Denver International Film Festival
2017 True Grit Award (LIYANA) - Denver International Film Festival
2017 Jury Special Mention Best Documentary (LIYANA) - Durban International Film Festival
2017 Jury Award for Artistic Bravery (LIYANA) - Durban International Film Festival
2017 Jury Award Best Feature (LIYANA) - Providence Children’s Film Festival
2017 Grand Jury Award Best Documentary (LIYANA) - Los Angeles Film Festival
2016 Abigail Disney’s Fork Films Grant Award (LIYANA)
2015 Bertha Foundation Doc Society Connect Fund Grant Award (LIYANA)
2015 Doha Film Institute Grant Award (LIYANA)
2013 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Grant Award (LIYANA)
2013 Emmy Award Nomination Outstanding Cinematography (SAVING FACE)
2012 IDA Award Best Short (SAVING FACE)
2010 National Geographic All Roads Seed Grant Award (LIYANA)
2009 Golden Palm Award (LIKHAYA) - Mexico International Film Festival
2009 Audience Award (LIKHAYA) - Denver International Film Festival