Documentary filmmaker · Video journalist · Producer · Creative leader · Educator

I find the heart of a story — and bring it to life.

Now playing: The Funeral Singer · San Francisco Chronicle

For 20 years I’ve made non-fiction films, series and social stories for outlets like The New York Times, PBS and KQED. Five regional Emmys later, I still love the craft — and I’d love to help tell your story.

Watch my work Get in touch Résumé
Work featured in The New York Times NYT Op-Docs PBS America ReFramed KQED PBS NewsHour Science Friday San Francisco Chronicle

Featured work

The Road to Reparations — a KQED News series following California’s historic reparations effort.

Also featured: If Cities Could Dance (KQED Arts), I Was That Kid, and The Food Historian (San Francisco Chronicle).

See all my work →

What I do

Whether you’re hiring for your team or have a story that needs telling, here’s where I can help.

Documentary & series

Long- and short-form documentaries and digital series, from first idea through festival and broadcast.

Branded & social stories

Short, human stories for nonprofits, newsrooms and brands, made to work on every platform.

Creative leadership & teaching

Leading creative teams, mentoring new storytellers, and teaching documentary craft and video journalism.

Hi, nice to meet you

I’m Manjula (Mun-joo-lah)

I fell in love with stories in library aisles and neighborhood video stores. Today I make them: I founded Mirrorlake Films in Salt Lake City, earned my master’s at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, and have spent two decades helping people tell the stories that matter.

I believe everyone has a story. What I do best is find its heart.

More about me →

Have a story worth telling?

Hiring for your team, planning a project, or looking for a speaker? I’d love to hear from you.

Let’s talk