Lisa Denker grew up in a family of artists and designers, innately developing her visual skills. She studied film-making at L.A City College and later at Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA. Working as an Art Director and Set Decorator in the L.A film industry, she worked on features and productions such as: Gas, Food and Lodging (Dir. Alison Anders); the Grammy Award winning Ain’t It Heavy music video for Melissa Etheridge, and was the Set Decorator for the film Citizen Ruth (Dir. Alexander Payne). She also worked on union films such as Warner Brothers Batman Returns (Dir. Tim Burton).
Judy Finelli & Lisa Denker at the Creative Work Fund grant recipients party
Following her move to the Bay Area, Lisa Denker’s Heart of the Sea /Kapolioka’ehukai 2003, a one hour portrait of Hawaiian legend Rell Sunn, was broadcast nationally on PBS’s The Independent Lens, as well as Broadcast internationally. The film has garnered many awards, including PBS’s Independent Lens Audience Award 2003, the Audience Award Best Documentary Feature at the San Francisco International Film Festival 2003, the Audience Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the Aloha Spirit Award at the Hawaii International Film Festival 2002 and Best Documentary Award at the Ashland Independent Film Festival.
Judy-in-the-ring shoot on Torpedo Pier, San Francisco Bay
View a video clip from
HEART OF THE SEA | KAPOLIOKA ‘EHUKAI