Biography

Filiz Efe McKinney is a Turkish-American documentary filmmaker based in Seattle. Her practice is non-extractive, community-centered, and culturally responsive, with the people in her films speaking in their own voices and shaping how their stories are told. She directed the Anti-Bias Early Childhood Films series: Reflecting on Anti-Bias Education in Action: The Early Years (2021) received a Northwest Regional Emmy® nomination for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Silver Prize for Documentary Feature at the Social Justice Film Festival (2022), and Families Embracing Anti-Bias Values (2024) earned three Telly Awards (2025). Her forthcoming film, Collective Voices (2026), weaves interviews with thirty-two authors into a 25-minute collage of reflections for the NAEYC anthology No Single Story. As producer, director, and editor, she leads every stage of production. She holds a BFA in Cinematography, an MA in Communication Strategies and Public Relations, and a Master of Communication in Digital Media.
- IMDb mini biography by: Filiz Efe McKinney