Ella Marcil
Emmanuella (Ella) Marcil is an award-winning filmmaker currently pursuing a Master’s degree at The University of Cincinnati.
Ella grew up on the island of Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi, where she developed an appreciation and love for community, nature, and conservation work. She is a passionate storyteller with an interest in digital media, and her last film, “When Silence Becomes The Song”, premiered on PBS in the fall of 2024.
Ella writes, directs, and produces web/television projects and films for audiences of all ages. She is on the Board of Directors of Reflection-icu, the non-profit behind “Forest Calls”. She is currently promoting her transmedia project ‘Forest Calls 2.0’ and will be participating at the Prix Jeunesse International 2026 (May 29 – June 3) at the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation in Munich, Germany.
Awards and Distinctions
- Academic
- Graduated with highest honors (Summa Cum Laude) in 2025 with a 4.0 GPA – UC School of Communication, Film, and Media Studies
- Won the ‘2025 Digital Media Student Of The Year’ award – UC School of Communication, Film, and Media Studies
- Professional
- “Best 1st Time Director Awards” by Crown Point International Film Festival (for “ʻĀina Momona”).
- Was invited to attend the ‘InDigital’ and ‘Mother Tongue Film Festival’ at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC.
- Interned at RSLV as
Previous Media Projects
- ʻĀina Momona, a 30-minute documentary film that follows the successful journey of the community of Hāʻena (located on Kauaʻi’s North Shore) as they re-establish the sustainable practices of their ancestors.
- Nāwiliwili Bay: Past, Present and Future, a short documentary on the historically and culturally important bay, next to where Ella grew up.
- Focal Fixedness In Jumping Spiders, a short video explaining the scientific work being done to better understand where focal fixedness starts in the eyes of jumping spiders. Produced in partnership with the University of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Museum.
Additional Information
- Ella’s first written story was published when she was 9 years old.
- Performed the role of Dorothy in HCT’s performance of “Wizard of Oz” in 2014.
- Ella’s first play was published when she was 14 years old.
- Performed the role of Truly Scrumptious for HCT’s performance of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” in 2018.