Dawn Porter is an acclaimed American documentary filmmaker and founder of Trilogy Films, known for her storytelling on social justice, history, and cultural icons. Her celebrated documentaries, including Trapped, John Lewis: Good Trouble, and The Lady Bird Diaries, air on platforms like HBO, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, CNN, PBS and others. Another film from Porter’s recent work, Luther: Never Too Much, highlights the life and legacy of Luther Vandross. Produced with Sony Music Entertainment, Jamie Foxx’s Foxxhole, and Colin Firth’s Raindog Films, this intimate portrayal of the Grammy-winning artist was recently released in theaters and premiered on CNN/MAX on January 1, 2025. Her recent work, The Sing Sing Chronicles won the Best Documentary Emmy at the 46th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards.
Porter’s achievements are widely recognized. A three-time Sundance film festival Alum, her film Gideon's Army was nominated for an Emmy and an Independent Spirit Award and won the prestigious Ridenhour Prize as well as the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award. Trapped also earned a Silver Gavel, as well as a Peabody Award and the Sundance Special Jury Prize for Social Impact Filmmaking, while John Lewis: Good Trouble won the 2021 NAACP Image Award. She received the Critics' Choice Impact Award in 2022 and Gracie Awards in both 2022 and 2023. Recently, Porter was awarded the National Humanities Medal by former President Joe Biden, elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and received the IDA Career Achievement Award.