Dakota Lupo is a filmmaker, producer, educator, and strategist who specializes in storytelling across several mediums and multiple industries. With extensive work writing and directing narrative film, ocumentary, commercials, and digital/interactive media, his work has been released, screened, and broadcast worldwide and he’s lead productions in over 40 countries. He’s worked with a variety of partners such as VICE, Warner Bros, Netflix, TRT World, Sony, FashionOne, and the UFC. With both short and long form projects in fiction & non fiction, Dakota uses storytelling as an empathetic bridge between artists, organizations, policy, and people. Many projects are built as part of organizational and policy platforms, working together with some of the world’s leading human rights organizations, nonprofits, foundations, NGOs, and governmental agencies.
The son of a choreographer and a magician, Dakota began performing at a very young age and continued as an actor and comedian. He is a graduate of Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, earning a BFA in Film and Television with a focus on human rights and policy through the arts. As a teacher and executive director, Dakota has lead film and acting programs in Los Angeles and around the world. As a yoga and meditation instructor for over 15 years, Dakota has taught over 6000 classes and has lead teacher trainings, specialized workshops, and developed curricula. As one of the best hand models in the game, Dakota has appeared in over 40 commercials (true story). He is a practicing martial artist and a Jeopardy extraordinaire.
Some recent collaborators, partners, and allies:
Featured cinematography by Hannes Blommaert, Owen Levelle, Dominic Lopez, and Dakota Lupo.
DRUM TOGETHER // More than 100 drummers and percussionists have joined forces to create Drum Together—a never-before-heard, drum-focused version of “Come Together,” all to support WhyHunger’s work to end hunger in the U.S. and around the globe and advance the human right to nutritious food for all. Drum Together features the greatest collection of drummers ever performing on one song.
prod. Brian Resnick, Dom Famularo / dir. Dakota Lupo
PEACED TOGETHER // Amer Shanati brings together his former music students from Syria with his current students in the Netherlands to play together at the Peace Palace for the International Day of Peace.
dir. Dakota Lupo / dop. Hannes Blommaert
A six-part mini-series, Civil Defense: Still There follows the supporting characters’ unique stories leading up to and following Civil Defense: Red Rover.
prod. Multihouse Entertainment / dir. Dakota Lupo / dop. Dominic Lopez // LINK TO EPISODES
BUILDING BLOCKS // The first implementation of blockchain technology used by the United Nations is explored at Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan. 'Building Blocks' - developed and spearheaded by Houman Haddad - is the World Food Programme's blockchain entitlement program promoting identity, efficient financial distribution, and dignity amongst the camp's over 80,000 residents.
dir. Dakota Lupo / dop. Hannes Blommaert
SAWA KENYA explores the many issues causing young girls to drop out of school in rural Kenya - teen pregnancy, work duties, female genital mutilation, menstrual health, security, isolation, or just basic lack of fees. Through the lives of these young girls and their community leaders, we explore the cultural and economic factors feeding these challenges as well as how education could be the key to impacting change
dir. Dakota Lupo / dop. Hannes Blommaert