Ali Cotterill is an American filmmaker, editor, and motion graphics artist based in Amsterdam, NL. Raised in New Jersey with a love of punk rock, Ali ventured to Portland, Oregon, after college, where she founded the drag king troupe DK PDX, touring with the group for three years. Immersed in the drag king and burlesque communities, Ali landed their first role as a post-production coordinator on Exotic World and the Burlesque Revival, a documentary feature that sparked a passion for sharing the untold stories of fringe communities.

Since then, Ali has contributed to a variety of documentary features, as the lead editor on United in Anger: A History of ACT UP (Apple TV, MOMA) and All We’ve Got (PBS), and as an additional editor on Being Bebe (Tribeca Film Festival, Peacock), and Jinkx Monsoon: Drag Becomes Him (Peacock, Prime Video). Ali’s directorial debut, North Pole, NY, premiered at IFF Boston, winning the Audience Award for Best Feature at the Indie Street Film Festival. The film enjoyed a successful self-distribution in theaters across NY and on VOD during the holiday season.

Ali’s client roster includes Fortune 500 companies, media platforms, and nonprofits alike, such as Dreamworks, Lexus, Target, PBS, HP, Stanford University, StoryCorps and Treatment Action Group. Known for bringing a strategic storytelling approach to each project, Ali excels at helping brands and organizations tell stories that make a positive impact.

Now based in Amsterdam after 15 years editing in NYC, Ali continues to bring a unique blend of creativity, focus, and strategic insight to projects across diverse media. Outside of work, Ali enjoys road trips, biking through the Netherlands, playing surf guitar, retro video games, live storytelling, and chasing total eclipses with her family.

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AWARDS

North Pole, NY (Director/DP/Editor) - Best Feature Film + Audience Award, Indie Street Film Festival
United in Anger (Lead Editor/Co-Writer) Best Documentary + Grand Jury Award, Milan International LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Best Documentary, Reel Q: Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Losing 1983 (Director/Editor) - 2nd Place, Next Frame Film Festival
EZ Heeb (Director/Editor) - The Click List, Top 10 Music Videos, Logo TV
At Least I Tried (Director/Editor) - The Click List, Top 10 Music Videos, Logo TV

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