Eli Heaton is a Knoxville-based filmmaker whose work grows out of the people and places he knows best. Having directed nine narrative shorts and produced several award-winning films for Appalachian creatives and friends, he sees filmmaking as a form of folk art: rooted in place and deeply collaborative. His recent second place finish in Film Fest Knox’s Elev8or Pitch Competition highlights his interest in telling character-driven stories set in East Tennessee. He works as a director at Big Slate Media.