| Lauren Roberts | |
| Birth Name: | Lauren Selmon Roberts |
| Nationality: | American |
| Alma Mater: | California State University Southern Illinois University Carbondale |
| Years Active: | 2009–present |
| Spouse: | Will Roberts |
| Father: | Dewey Selmon |
| Mother: | Kathryn Selmon |
| Occupation: | Director, producer, cinematographer, editor |
Lauren Selmon Roberts is an American filmmaker and film producer. She is the director of Rainbow Town, a documentary focused on orphans in war-torn Liberia.[1] [2]
She is daughter of Kathryn and Dewey Selmon of Norman, Oklahoma. She completed her bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from California State University, Fresno in May 2005. Afterwards, she graduated with a master of fine arts degree from the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts of Southern Illinois University Carbondale.[3]
When she was 14 years old, she started to use the video camera. Roberts created her first video, an entry for a WNBA commercial when she was 15 years old. During this period, she started to play multiple roles in school such as reporting, producing, shooting and editing. After her graduation, she worked for local news channels.[4]
In the meantime, she went to West Africa for a documentary. After a two-year stint working with war orphans & former child soldiers in Liberia, she decided to make her first full-length documentary, Rainbow Town in 2010. She was also the cinematographer and editor of the documentary. The film revolves around the true story of a woman who saved the lives of over 250 war orphans during Liberia's civil war. After receiving critical acclaim, the film was also honored with the award from the Directors Guild of America. It was later screened at New York Fashion Week, at the Museum of Tolerance International Film Festival and other national & international film festivals.
After the success of the film, she joined as a producer at NBCUniversal's in-house production company, 'Peacock Productions'. Since 2011, she worked as the assistant producer, associate producer and executive producer for several television serials, TV specials and documentaries.
| Year | Film | Role | Genre | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Rainbow Town | Director, cinematographer, editor | Video documentary | [5] | |
| 2011 | The 85th Anniversary of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade | Assistant producer | TV special | ||
| 2012 | Dateline NBC | Assistant producer | TV series documentary | ||
| 2012 | Adele: Live in London with Matt Lauer | Assistant producer | TV special | ||
| 2012 | Sandy: The Anatomy of a Superstorm | Associate producer | TV movie documentary | ||
| 2012 | Breaking Amish | Associate producer | TV series documentary | ||
| 2013 | Cycling High: Doping to Win | Associate producer | TV movie documentary | ||
| 2013 | Caught on Camera: Terror in Boston | Associate producer | TV movie documentary | ||
| 2015 | Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances | Associate producer | TV special | ||
| 2015 | Why Planes Crash | Associate producer | TV series documentary | ||
| 2015 | The Real American Sniper | Associate producer | TV movie documentary | ||
| 2015 | Hate in America | Associate producer | TV movie documentary | ||
| 2016 | The Seven New Signs of the Apocalypse | Associate producer | TV movie documentary | ||
| 2016 | Hate in America | Associate producer | TV mini-series documentary | ||
| 2017 | Beyond the Headlines | Producer | TV series documentary | ||
| 2018 | Headliners | Associate producer | TV series documentary | ||
| 2020 | Behind Closed Doors | Producer | TV series |