Anna Kuelken

Anna Kuelken (she/her) is a documentary filmmaker on Treaty 6 territory. Anna’s upbringing on a small bison farm in rural northern Alberta has significantly influenced her work as a filmmaker. This is where her artistic foundation was rooted, having a deep appreciation for the natural world, drawing inspiration from the intricate relationships between individuals and their environments. The ethos of sustainable farming practices has been instilled in her since childhood, igniting a passion for exploring avenues for a more sustainable and equitable future through intimate storytelling.
Anna Kuelken approaches documentary filmmaking through an ethnographic lens, investing time in cultivating relationships with her participants. The documentary process, to her, is a collaborative endeavour that constructs a visual landscape, offering audiences a poetic and authentic glimpse into the lives of those involved. Of her short documentary Father Like Son, Michael MacDonald, Associate Professor, Music Faculty of Fine Arts and Communications, MacEwan University says: ‘Her film cuts to the heart of rural lifeworlds, a world she grew up in, and her film is both exuberant and heartbreaking. I expect that Anna will become an important voice helping all Canadians to reconceive of what it means to choose a rural life and to reimagine the rural history of Canada.’
Anna’s films have been recognized with the BMO 1st National Winner for ‘Father Like Son’ Short Documentary 2021; Hot Docs Pitch Program Recipient for ‘Father Like Son’, Camden International Film Festival 2023. ‘Father Like Son’ also achieved recognition as a top-three contender for the Lindalee Tracey Award. Her newest documentary ‘Women who Dig’ is due to be released in 2024.

Anna holds a Design & Communications Diploma from MacEwan University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Majoring in Film from Nova Scotia University for Art and Design.

I believe that Anna represents the epitome of Emerging Artist in Alberta, not based on her successes as a filmmaker, but rather, the process of how she creates—and her artistic vision for the long-term. Her commitment to her craft stems, I think, from a genuine place of love. From the urge to create and the desire to amplify narratives that are often not told. Her work upholds her values of respect, kindness, and integrity.
Anna Kuelken is setting the bar for documentary filmmaking in Alberta very, very high and I am quite sure her name will be, one day, known globally. Her work reflects the highest talent.

Trina Moyles, Writer, Journalist, Author of ‘Women Who Dig: Farming, Feminism, and the Fight to Feed the World’