I've been editing films & videos professionally for 30+ years, currently an independent contractor available for work. One of the projects I worked on in 2023 was nominated for a NY Emmy Award and another video I worked on was short-listed for a 2021 Academy Award (yep, almost won an Oscar). Projects I edited have won 2nd place in the 2022 Webbys; been nominated for Emmys (thrice!); helped social media campaigns raise funds; educated the public on non-profit organizations and their work; assisted documentaries in securing funding; and gotten films into festivals all over the world.  My original experimental work has been exhibited at the Philadelphia Art Alliance and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

I edit documentaries (long-form, short-form and every form in-between), as well as educational, industrial, medical/pharmaceutical videos; documentary-based as well as scripted projects; network promos and spots; abstract and experimental projects; and probably some other stuff – just ask!  (For more details, check out my resume in the sidebar.)  

Bring me on board to edit, rescue, finish, fix or critique your project - let my many years of experience help you tell your story.

Hire me for your professional editing needs.
Valerie Keller
valrikat@gmail.com

"Art of Survival" screened at the Urban Dreams Mental Health Film Festival

My partners and I were thrilled that our documentary Art of Survival was chosen as an official entry in the Urban Dreams Mental Health Film Festival, which ran from May 2—May 4, 2024 in Manhattan. Art of Survival is a short documentary about the Kensington Storefront, a drop-in arts center in the heart of Philadelphia's opioid crisis. It was produced by the collective Hidden River Films, a partnership consisting of me, Tony Heriza and James Wasserman. Tony and I attended the Urban Dreams Mental Health Film Festival last weekend, and took part in the filmmaker panel discussion after the screening.

(That's me in the polka dot dress, and Tony is next to me)

The Second Trauma

The Second Trauma, co-produced by The Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting at Temple University and the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting, was shown to a packed auditorium at Temple University on April 17, 2024, followed by a lively panel discussion.

The Second Trauma, a powerful 25-minute documentary led by gun violence survivor
Oronde McClain, takes viewers on a journey to the heart of Philadelphia, where
communities are grappling with the devastating impact of record-setting violence.
Through intimate interviews and raw emotion, Philadelphians share their lived
experiences and offer invaluable insights into how the media, journalism students, and
news consumers can do better.

Produced and directed by Logan Center Director Yvonne Latty, The Second Trauma
challenges conventional reporting practices and advocates for a more empathetic and
solution-oriented approach to storytelling.