At LILA FILMS, we research, write, produce, direct, shoot and edit documentary films. We believe that education has the power to expand awareness, create opportunities and transform lives so all of our films contain an important educational message. We tell stories from the soul so that viewers are inspired and empowered to take actions that make a difference. We especially love making films about the environment, science, health and sustainability.
LILA FILMS is named after the Sanskrit word that means “divine play” or “the interconnectedness of everything.” Lila is the dance of concealing and revealing, the movement of darkness and light, the mystery of shadow and substance, the delight in silence and sound. Lila embodies the full spectrum of experience: sorrow and joy, emptiness and fullness, death and life.
DEBORAH FRYER
Founder | Producer | Director | Writer | Editor | Videographer
Deborah’s love of documenting other cultures began when she was twelve years old and living in Europe. By the time she graduated from high school, she had collected passport stamps from over a dozen countries and had learned seven languages. Her love of learning led her to earn a PhD in Classics and Comparative Literature at Princeton University. She then followed her passion into the field, where she worked as an Associate and Field Producer for NOVA, Frontline, PBS, Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, Turner Broadcasting, American Experience, National Audubon Society, the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. In 1999, she began producing, directing and writing films for History Channel, MSNBC, Warren Miller Films and HGTV. In 2004, Deborah founded LILA FILMS, a full-service video production company in Boulder, Colorado.
Deborah specializes in telling stories about the interconnectedness between people, public health, and the environment. Deborah has filmed in Peru, Mali, Kenya, Tanzania, Panama, Mexico, Israel, Turkey, Italy, India, Bali, Thailand, Belize, England, as well as throughout the United States. She has filmed in countries without electricity and running water and in high tech operating rooms, in prisons, classrooms, laboratories, and community gardens. Wherever the story is, Deborah will follow it. She is an intrepid, compassionate and passionate storyteller. Deborah’s independent film SHAKEN: Journey into the Mind of a Parkinson’s Patient was broadcast on public television to millions of viewers and won numerous awards, including a Humanitarian Award, two Telly Awards and a CINE Golden Eagle Award.
Kimman Harmon
Videographer
Kimman has been a professional cinematographer for 35 years. Her documentary work has been broadcast on PBS, MTV, Discovery, Travel Channel, Biography/A & E, Outdoor Life Network, Bravo, Weather Channel, TNT, National Geographic and Warren Miller. She has also contributed to multiple projects for the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of Wyoming. Her commercial clients include March of Dimes, United Airlines, Noble Energy, WD-40and AVON. Her corporate clients include Texas Instruments, Excel Energy, and First Data. Kimman has shot all over the world. To learn more about why we love working with Kimman, check out her website: kimmanharmon.com
Djuna Zupancic
Videographer
Djuna Zupancic brings ten years experience filming for nationally broadcast commercials for GE, Coors, Red Bull, Dove, and others. She has also created documentary films for Tippet Rise Art Center and Colorado Center for the Blind, and has contributed footage for numerous other educational videos, and independent art films. Whether acting as Director of Photography, Digital Imaging Technician, or Second Camera, Djuna consistently creates eloquent, poetic, and gorgeous images. Equally at home in the lab and the field, Djuna loves collaborating to tell stories.