Veena Rao

Veena Rao is a filmmaker based in New York City. Her films have screened at festivals worldwide, been featured on The New York Times Op-Docs, The Atlantic, National Geographic, Vimeo Staff Picks, and have been supported by Independent Television Service (ITVS), The NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre, and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). Rao strives to create viewer connection to her work through identifying what drives people and what they are passionate about. Rao’s most recent work took her to the tiny U.S. island of Tangier off the coast of Virginia, where the 460 inhabitants have a curious accent and are geographically isolated — making it seem as if they live in an entirely different era. She is the director of Rebuilding in Miniature (Mountainfilm 2018), and You Can't Shrink Love (Mountainfilm 2024).