Ethan Baker is a visual storyteller, director, and editor specializing in documentary filmmaking. Based in Washington, D.C., and originally from West Virginia, his passion for filmmaking began at age nine when he launched a YouTube channel, sparking a lifelong dedication to the craft. He holds an MA in Film and Media Production from American University and a BS in Communication and New Media from Shepherd University, where he concentrated in digital filmmaking and minored in journalism.

Ethan currently serves as the Assistant Director of Advancement Communications at American University. He previously worked as the Multimedia Content Student Assistant for University Advancement, producing video content highlighting students, faculty, and alumni. Before that, he was the Festival and Documentary Program Manager for Anacostia Youth Media, an organization that empowers middle and high school students through filmmaking. During undergrad, he worked as a multimedia journalist for The Picket, Shepherd University’s student news outlet, and as a Label Assistant and Video Editor at NexGen Music, a record label and project studio in Shepherdstown, WV.

With a background in filmmaking, journalism, and music, Ethan explores biographical and special interest stories, often delving into the intersection of race, class, and generations through art and pop culture. His body of work spans documentaries, feature news stories, promotional videos, social media content, and music videos. Committed to changemaking, he aspires to write, direct, and edit impact-driven films that inspire diverse audiences and mobilize communities.

His most recent film, Kil and the Kids, follows a mentor guiding a teen’s healing through art while reflecting on a life lost to gun violence. Other notable projects include TIME FLIES, a poetic, coming-of-age reflection on his own life, which earned Honorable Mention at the Paris Film Awards, Best Graduate Documentary at the AU Visions Awards, and an Official Selection at the LightReel Film Festival; Battlefront, a Star Wars-themed music video that won Best Music Video at AU Visions; and Vegans of Color, a documentary spotlighting a D.C.-based meetup group of plant-based people of color, which garnered nearly 10,000 views in its first week.