Sachi Cunningham (she/her/hers) is a director and photographer based in San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA. She is known worldwide for her pioneering work as a big wave water surf photographer and videographer. With a background in studio feature films and commercial production, paired with a Masters of Journalism degree from UC Berkeley, she brings both Hollywood know-how and vérité documentary sensibility to her work. She is a tenured professor of multimedia journalism at San Francisco State University.

Her award-winning films have taken her from the deserts of Iraq to the shores of the Amazon for outlets including PBS Frontline, Discovery, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. Her water photography and videography have been featured by brands including Patagonia, Adidas, Roxy, and Red Bull. Her recent feature documentary, CRUTCH, about the life and work of artist Bill Shannon, recently debuted at DOC NYC where it was a runner-up for the audience award. She is in post production on SheChange, a feature length documentary about female big wave surfers fighting for pay equality. Surfline, the largest online surf publication, has listed her among their top filmmakers and Surfer Magazine has included her in their list of top photographers. A cancer survivor and mother, Cunningham lives with her husband and 8-year-old daughter on Ohlone Territory across from Ocean Beach in San Francisco, CA.

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