Sydney Freeland

Sydney Freeland is an award-winning LGBTQ Navajo filmmaker. She most recently directed Netflix's "Rez Ball," a feature she co-wrote with Sterlin Harjo on basketball's importance to Indigenous communities, with LeBron James attached as a producer. She also sold her pilot "Sovereign," which she co-wrote with Shaz Bennett, to NBC with WBTV and Ava Duvernay producing. She is also attached to direct "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," based on the book by Sherman Alexie, which is set up at 3000 Pictures with Lauren Schuler Donner, Hugh Jackman, and Temple Hill producing.

Previously, Freeland directed the Netflix Original Feature, "Deidra & Laney Rob a Train," which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, as well as "Drunktown’s Finest," which premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was executive produced by Robert Redford. Her television directing credits include "Reservation Dogs" for FX; "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" for Paramount+; "Rutherford Falls" for Peacock; "The Walking Dead: World Beyond" for AMC; "Fear the Walking Dead" for AMC; "Chambers" for Netflix; "Nancy Drew" for the CW, among others and she directed every episode of the 2016 Emmy nominated web-series, "Her Story."

Freeland is a member of the inaugural 2019 ReFrame Rise WIF class, was a part of the 2015 Fox Global Directors Initiative, and was a 2007 Disney Scholar. In 2022, she was included in the Fast Company Queer 50 list.