Jill Orschel
Jill Orschel is an award-winning independent filmmaker based in Park City whose work highlights the voices of women and underrepresented communities in the rural Mountain West. Her breakout documentary short, SISTER WIFE, about a mother of twelve in an infamous polygamist sect, world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, earned a special jury award at SXSW, and screened across the country and internationally. Jill’s nonfiction work has also premiered at Aspen Shortsfest, DOC NYC, IDFA, the Hamptons Film Festival, and other international and independent festivals. She holds a BA in Journalism from Colorado State University and an MFA in Film Studies from the University of Utah, and she continues to develop her media-making skills through organizations such as the Sundance Institute (Collab) and Women Make Movies. Jill is a proud member of Film Fatales and the International Documentary Association (IDA). She founded and directed the annual Filmmakers Showcase in Park City for fifteen years, showcasing new work by emerging and established filmmakers from across the state. Jill’s feature-length documentary, SNOWLAND, follows a child bride from a cult in Utah as she escapes her dark past by creating a magical fantasy world. Jill ran two successful crowdfunding campaigns and received support, including a Commitment Grant from Mountainfilm. SNOWLAND recently premiered at the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival in Los Angeles.
