Hannah Long-Higgins is an independent filmmaker with roots in award-winning video journalism. Over the years, she has worn many hats in the newsroom, production company, and non-profit startup worlds. From TV documentaries to TikToks and everything in between (and she does mean everything), there is no film or video too big or small for Hannah’s imagination.

The seeds of Hannah’s foray into filmmaking were planted during the half decade she spent traversing the US as a BBC video journalist. On the surface, Hannah’s BBC films and videos covered race, politics, the criminal justice system, culture and climate change for a global audience. Look closely, though, and you’ll notice stories of profound transformations, unlikely connections, second chances, and Hannah’s fascination with the mysteries and wonders of the human experience. Today, she explores these themes and more in her work as a director and editor of both original and branded films.

As an editor, Hannah works on a wide range of short and long-form documentary projects, both verité and investigative. She’s a lifelong musician who enjoys fusing rhythm and texture with the melodic rise and fall of the stories she’s shaping through her editing. Hannah is currently the lead editor of a forthcoming (Fall 2024) FRONTLINE PBS documentary about the historic and deadly 2023 Maui fire.

As a director, Hannah is highly collaborative and finds great joy in drawing out the strengths of her teams while strategically telling the highest-impact stories possible. She uses her extensive experience behind the camera as a professional photographer and cinematographer to craft visual narratives that transport audiences to new places and emotional experiences.

No matter what she's making or which hat she’s wearing, Hannah brings strong editorial judgment, journalistic rigor, and the full force of her creativity to every stage of the production process while uplifting the brilliance of her co-creators.

Hannah has an M.S. in journalism from Columbia Journalism School. In June 2017, she completed a reporting project in Jordan's Zaatari refugee camp through the Davis Project for Peace Foundation, where she helped Syrian refugee journalists take their original print reporting into the digital space. 

When she’s not immersed in an edit, Hannah enjoys playing her cello, riding her bike, and chasing around her two beloved cats. Hannah is based in Portland, Maine and is available for productions worldwide.