Soren Sorensen
Associate Teaching Professor, Visual and Performing Arts
Director of Screen Studies, Visual and Performing Arts
-
Soren Sorensen joined the Department of Visual and Performing Arts in Fall 2019. He holds an M.F.A. in Film from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Sorensen teaches the bulk of the Screen Studies program’s production offerings including advanced courses in documentary and short narrative filmmaking.       Â
Sorensen is an award-winning filmmaker specializing in documentary production with an emphasis on social and cultural issues. His first feature-length documentary, My Father’s Vietnam (2016), combines interviews and never-before-seen photographs and 8mm footage of the era, to tell the story of three soldiers, only one of whom returned home from the Vietnam War alive. The film premiered at the 2015 Rhode Island International Film Festival, where it won the Soldiers and Sacrifice Grand Prize. In 2016, My Father’s Vietnam was released by independent film distributor Gravitas Ventures, and is currently available on streaming platforms, and on Blu-ray and DVD.Â
Sorensen’s short documentary, With Dad, based on the book of the same name by Clark University Studio Art professor Stephen DiRado, features DiRado’s still photography, specifically during the painful 20-year period of his father’s decline and eventual death from Alzheimer’s disease. The film premiered at the 2020 Rhode Island International Film Festival, where it won the Youth Jury First Prize for Best Short Documentary. The film also won awards in 2020 at the Houston International Film Festival, the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival, and the Mystic Film Festival. In 2021, With Dad won two awards, for Best Short Documentary and Best Editing, at the Red Dirt Film Festival in Stillwater, OK.Â
Sorensen’s second feature film, Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums, on the life and music of Cuban pianist and composer Omar Sosa, had its world premiere at the 2022 USA Film Festival in Dallas, TX. The film has since appeared at over 30 film festivals across North America and Europe, winning awards at the Ag & Art Film Festival in Vacaville, CA; Albuquerque Film+Music Experience in Albuquerque, NM; Hamptons Doc Fest in Sag Harbor, NY; Imaginarium Independent Film Festival in Louisville, KY; Massachusetts Independent Film Festival in Worcester, MA; ReelHeART International FIlm Festival in Toronto, Canada; and Rhode Island International Film Festival in Providence, RI.Â
While planning his next project, Sorensen is currently working on a distribution strategy and a vinyl soundtrack LP for Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums.Degrees
- M.F.A. in Film, Documentary Production Emphasis, Vermont College of Fine Arts, 2019
- M.A. in Art, Media Studies, Rhode Island College, 2012
- B.A. in Music, Film Scoring, Berklee College of Music, 1998
Affiliated Department(s)
-
Scholarly and Creative Works
Scroll to top.-
Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums (99m)
●
2024
-
Omar Sosa's 88 Well-Tuned Drums
Feature Documentary Film Festival Screening
Red Dirt Film Festival
●
Stillwater, OK
Apr. 24, 2022
-
Omar Sosa's 88 Well-Tuned Drums
Feature Documentary Film Screening
Golden Door International Film Festival
●
Jersey City, NJ
May. 14, 2022
-
Omar Sosa's 88 Well-Tuned Drums
Feature Documentary Film Festival Screening
USA Film Festival
●
Dallas, TX
Apr. 23, 2022
-
Omar Sosa's 88 Well-Tuned Drums
Feature Documentary Film Festival Screening
Massachusetts Independent Film Festival
●
Worcester, MA
Apr. 14, 2022
-
With Dad
Television Broadcast and Streaming
Rhode Island PBS
●
Providence, RI
Sep. 20, 2021
-
Television Broadcast and Streaming
CPTV - Connecticut Public Television
●
Hartford, CT
Sep. 21, 2021
-
With Dad
Television Broadcast and Streaming
WGBH-TV
●
Boston, MA
Sep. 21, 2021
-
Short Documentary Film Festival Screening
NYC Independent Film Festival
●
New York, NY
Jun. 13, 2021
-
Specialty Foods of Rhode Island: "Gotham Greens"
Television Broadcast
Rhode Island PBS
●
Providence, RI
Oct. 21, 2021
-
Specialty Foods of Rhode Island: "Narragansett Creamery"
Television Series
Rhode Island PBS
●
Providence, RI
Oct. 21, 2021
-
Specialty Foods of Rhode Island: "Seven Stars Bakery"
Television Series
Rhode Island PBS
●
Providence, RI
Oct. 14, 2021
-
Specialty Foods of Rhode Island: "Charcuterie Artisans"
Television Series
Rhode Island PBS
●
Providence, RI
Oct. 14, 2021
-
With Dad
Short Documentary Film Screening
2021 Red Dirt Film Festival
●
Stillwater, OK
-
Television Series
Connecticut Public Television
●
Hartford, CT
-
Television Series
Rhode Island PBS
●
Providence, RI
-
Short Documentary Film Screening
2020 St. Louis International Film Festival
●
St. Louis, MO
-
With Dad
Short Documentary Film Screening
2020 Black Bear Film Festival
●
Milord, PA
-
Short Documentary Film Screening
2020 Chagrin Documentary Film Festival
●
Chagrin Falls, OH
-
Short Documentary Film Screening
2020 GlobeDocs
●
Boston, MA
-
With Dad
Short Documentary Film Screening
2020 Mystic Film Festival
●
Mystic, CT
-
Short Documentary Film Screening
2020 Connecticut Film Festival
●
Housatonic Museum of Art Bridgeport, CT
-
With Dad
Short Documentary Film Screening
2020 Massachusetts Independent Film Festival
●
Boston, MA
-
Short Documentary Film Screening
Rhode Island International Film Festival
●
Providence, RI
-
-
Awards & Grants
-
Grant for Animation Services
Higgins School for Humanities
Jan. 1, 2022 - May. 1, 2022
-
Grant for Film Festival Submission Fees
Estate of Selma B. Geller
Jan. 1, 2022 - May. 1, 2022
-
Gold Remi Award
WorldFest-Houston International Film & Video Festival
2020
-
Youth Jury First Prize -- Best Short Documentary
2020 Rhode Island International Film Festival
2020
-
Grand Jury Prize -- Documentary Short
Mystic Film Festival
2020
-
Best Editing
2021 Red Dirt Film Festival
2021
-
Best Short Documentary
2021 Red Dirt Film Festival
2021
-
Best Documentary
2020 Massachusetts Independent Film Festival
2020
-
Best Short Documentary
New York City Independent Film Festival
2021
-
Best of Festival -- Documentary Feature
Massachusetts Independent Film Festival
2021
-
Gold Remi Award
WorldFest-Houston International Film & Video Festival
2022
-
Best Documentary Feature, OMAR SOSA'S 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS
Albuquerque Film + Music Experience
2022
-
Best Art Documentary, OMAR SOSA'S 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS
Ag & Art Film Festival
2022
-
Honorable Mention, OMAR SOSA'S 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS
Big Apple Film and Screenplay Competition
2022
-
Art & Inspiration Award, OMAR SOSA'S 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS
Hamptons Doc Fest
2022
-
Best Feature Documentary, OMAR SOSA'S 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS
Imaginarium Independent Film Festival
2022
-
Best Feature Documentary, OMAR SOSA'S 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS
Massachusetts Independent Film Festival
2022
-
Best Music Related Film, OMAR SOSA'S 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS
ReelHeART International FIlm Festival
2022
-
Best Musical Documentary, OMAR SOSA'S 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS
Rhode Island International Film Festival
2022
-
Honorable Mention, OMAR SOSAS 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS
Roxbury International Film Festival
2022
-
Spotlight Gold Award, OMAR SOSA'S 88 WELL-TUNED DRUMS
Spotlight Documentary Film Awards
2022
-