Hello

I'm a filmmaker and advocate lightly tethered to my hometown of Seattle, WA.

Growing up in the Northwest with a freelance photographer for a mother, I found myself at an early age carrying a camera throughout the forests I called home.  My time in the woods led first to a bachelor's degree in Wildlife Ecology and then to a master's degree in the environmental social sciences. My interest in photography branched into a love of the arts community, organizing shows, and fostering cross-platform artistic endeavors.   

After finishing graduate school I dove head first into production, working on short films, award-winning independent features, and a slew of pro bono productions for not-for-profits around the world. Now, I can say that I have been fortunate enough to find my camera running in 12 counties, across five continents.  

Though I have left research behind for a season my graduate work did teach me how to go deep. Throughout my graduate research I utilized interviews and focus groups to uncover the meaning in the interactions I was observing. Now as a filmmaker I lean on those research tools. My work is focused on interview-based stories, allowing each arch to build organically. Much like academic research, each production starts with a question. It then takes time, tools, and a heavy dose of curiosity to get to the answer. 

In 2011, I founded the production company Divingbell which houses my work for other organizations and a few key collaborations, including Native Lines.  My time is currently spent exploring the tensions between the human and non-human environment and issues related to social justice. 

If you are in need of a thoughtful collaborator to help with a project please drop me a line. You can also reach out just to say hi. 

Best,

Ian

Crisp pictures by Jason Scragz (cc). If you keep any of the pictures in your final website, please keep this credit too, thanks.

email: iamianbell@gmail.com