LAUREN MARKS BOWMAN

Lauren Marks Bowman is a documentary filmmaker specializing in historical and culturally driven storytelling. As a director and producer, she has created several award-winning short documentaries. In addition to her directing work, Lauren contributes to independent film productions throughout the greater Atlanta area as a production sound mixer. Through her production company, Manchester Magpie Productions, she also conducts oral history interviews to preserve personal and community narratives.

Lauren graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Georgia with a B.S. in Film & Digital Media with a production concentration and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Anthropology at the University of Georgia.

Email me.

Current Work:

High Tide

All documentary participants will receive their full, un-edited interviews back prior to video publication. Please contact me at Lmbowm8077@gmail.com if you’re interested in being interviewed.

The primary goal of this documentary is to serve as a "proof of concept" short film. The overall goal is to produce a much longer and more in-depth documentary film which will highlight the diminishing habitats of the material culture plant, Sweetgrass (Muhlenbergia sericea), the resulting threats to traditional basket weaving and cultural heritage traditions, as well as the resilience efforts forming to mitigate this loss. This research and documentary will start to shed light on community activism and help bridge underrepresented and marginalized narratives. Using a film medium will serve as both a research outcome and a form of public anthropology, making this research available beyond academic spaces. Through this film, I hope to address the situation being encountered by the Gullah Geechee communities as a result of climate change, gentrification, and urbanization.

Filmed by Lauren Marks Bowman at the Penn Center in St. Helena Island, South Carolina, 2026.

Domestic Study Field Study Program - University of Georgia - Body, Mind and Soul Cultural Immersion

Dr. Dainess Maganda and Dr. Fabian Maganda

Manchester Magpie

Productions

We are a non-profit production company based in Atlanta, GA and focused on creating powerful, educational documentaries that highlight real stories from often-overlooked communities. By working directly with individuals to share their lived experiences, we create honest, unfiltered narratives that inspire empathy and understanding.

Our work is always free for participants, and every dollar earned goes back into future projects. With your support, we can continue elevating voices that deserve to be heard.

For more information or to collaborate, please Contact Us.

  • Student Assistant for the University of Georgia Anthropology Department

  • WABE-TV, a PBS Member Station in Atlanta, GA, and the state’s oldest public television station.

    Worked as an Associate Producer for the Emmy Award-winning series (re)Defining History, sourcing and verifying historical information and digital images from news organizations and universities.

    Wrote historical “pop-up” facts for 10 episodes of This is Atlanta and Cooking with Ursula, enhancing audience engagement with informative content.

    Worked on-set as a Camera Assistant for (Re)Defining History, supporting cinematographers with camera operation and setup. Managed film production gear logistics, including pickup and delivery, to ensure seamless production operations.

  • Film Production Internship with the Athens Historical Society, an organization with a mission to discover, collect, and preserve all materials, especially original and source materials, pertaining to the history of Athens, Clarke County, adjacent countie,s and related areas.

    Collaborated with UGA historians on the documentary series Industrial Athens Part 2: The End of Child Labor, conducting archival research and assisting with script editing, which will be incorporated into the 11th-grade history curriculum in Clarke County, GA.

    Worked as a camera operator and production sound mixer for principal photography.

  • Film Department, University of North Georgia | 2023 – 2025

    Facilitating equipment rentals for student productions.

  • CURCA, University of North Georgia | 2023

    • Traveled on-site to the Santee Delta in South Carolina

    • Documented interviews with community members

    • Assessed archival materials

    • Edited a 15-minute documentary preserving the cultural
      landscape of the Santee Delta with an emphasis on African
      slaves and their descendants

  • Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis, University of North Georgia | 2022 – 2023

    • Federal Work Study Program

    • Maintained Program’s social media presence

    • Produced promotional materials

    • Promoted awareness of the program

  • Georgia Film Festival, Gainesville, GA | 2022 - 2024

    • Arranged for badges to be available and ready

    • Answered questions regarding proceedings

    • Ensured the festival schedule was kept and guests were in place for all panels and viewings

Work Experience

Films

  • Director

    The primary goal of this documentary is to serve as a "proof of concept" short film. The overall goal is to produce a much longer and more in-depth documentary film which will highlight the diminishing habitats of the material culture plant, Sweetgrass (Muhlenbergia sericea), the resulting threats to traditional basket weaving and cultural heritage traditions, as well as the resilience efforts forming to mitigate this loss. This research and documentary will start to shed light on community activism and help bridge underrepresented and marginalized narratives. Using a film medium will serve as both a research outcome and a form of public anthropology, making this research available beyond academic spaces. Through this film, I hope to address the situation being encountered by the Gullah Geechee communities as a result of climate change, gentrification, and urbanization.

  • Camera Operator

    WABE - PBS Television series highlighting pivotal moments of influential public figures’ lives.

  • Director

    Documentary on the life of Columbia University Professor Morris Mitchell and his Cooperative Community.

  • Production Sound Mixer

    Documentary highlighting Maxwell’s Tavern. Featuring R.E.M. and Drivin N Cryin.

  • Post Production Supervisor and DIT

    Documentary on the life of author Sybil Rosen.

    Directed by University of North Georgia Professor Robyn Hicks.

  • Associate Producer

    (re)Defining History uncovers the hidden history of Atlanta and the South that has shaped the region and even the nation. From historical events to forgotten figures and cultural icons, the series presents history with a hands-on approach that will enable viewers to redefine how they see the world. Available to stream on PBS.org

  • Videographer

    For the AMS Kennedy Creek Old Timey Music Festival.

    2024-2025

  • Co-Director, Cinematographer, Editor

    Co-Directed with University of North Georgia Professor of Anthropology, Dr. Robin O’Day.

    The Delta Project is a larger interdisciplinary research project designed to document, protect, and preserve the cultural landscape of the Santee Delta in South Carolina, with an emphasis on the African descendant experience. Located in South Carolina's Lowcountry, the Santee Delta region was once the heart of rice production on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, which grew wealthy through plantations worked by enslaved people.

    In collaboration with the University of North Georgia’s History, Anthropology, and Philosophy department.

  • Director and Editor

    Dr. Evan Lampert (University of North Georgia) explains that the Joro Spider (Trichonephila clavata), native to Asia, is an invasive spider that possibly arrived in Georgia (U.S.) on a shipping container and is now spreading throughout the southeastern United States.

    Official Selection for Atlanta Docufest, South Georgia Film Festival and Georgia Film Festival. Quarter-Finalist in the Serbest International Film Festival.

Non-Fiction

Narrative

  • Production Sound Mixer

  • Production Sound Mixer

  • Set Designer

  • Production Sound Mixer

  • Production Assistant

  • Production Sound Mixer

  • Boom Operator

  • Production Sound Mixer

  • Production Sound Mixer

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EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS

University of Georgia
Anthropology

2025-Present

University of North Georgia
Film & Digital Media Major

2020-2025

Merit Page