LOS ANGELES · NEW YORK · CYPRUS
photo by Erica Urech
Liz Sargent is a Korean-American adoptee writer-director whose work explores adoption, disability, family, and belonging. With a background in choreography, her storytelling is shaped by her experience growing up as the middle child of eleven.
Her debut feature, Take Me Home, grew out of her award-winning proof-of-concept short, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance won the American Cinematheque PROOF Grand Jury Prize, and was a centerpiece at the White House for the 25th anniversary of the Olmstead Decision.
The feature won Tribeca and AT&T’s Untold Stories 1 Million dollar prize in 2025 before premiering in U.S. Dramatic Competition at Sundance 2026, where Sargent received the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. It made its international premiere in the Perspectives competition at the 2026 Berlinale. Additional honors include Narrative Grand Prize (Heartland IFF) , Mary Jane Coleman Award (Nashville FF), Breakthrough Director (Denver IFF), Best Narrative Feature (Buffalo IFF).
Notably, Sargent cast her cognitively disabled sister, Anna Sargent, and explored the experience of directing her sister and disability representation in her Hollywood Reporter article. The film has sparked conversations around the American caregiving crisis in coverage by NPR, PEOPLE, Huffington Post and INSTYLE.
AWARDS
Mary Jane Coleman Award | Nashville Film Festival
Breakthrough Director | Denver International Film Festival
Best Narrative Feature | Buffalo International Film Festival
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature | Tallahassee Film Festival
Special Jury Prize | Deadcenter Film Festival
Narrative Grand Prize | Heartland International Film Festival
LIGHTHOUSE AWARD | Lumen Awards 2026
WALDO SALT SCREENWRITING AWARD | Sundance Film Festival 2026
IMPACT AWARD | ADOPTEE FILM FESTIVAL 2025
AT&T UNTOLD STORIES | 2025
NBCU TV Directing Fellowship l 2024
SFFILM RAININ Screenwriting Grant l 2024
American Cinematheque's PROOF of Concept FF l GRANDY JURY PRIZE 2024
Academy Gold Fellowship for Women l Semi-Finalist 2024
Lynn Shelton of a Certain Age l Honorable Mention 2024
Humanitas New Voices Fellowship l Finalist 2024
Stowe Story Labs - Film Fatales Fellowship l Finalist 2024
Gold House Futures Network l 2023
Ryan Murphy Half Initiative l Brad Buecker 2023 & Tori Garrett 2022
AICP Mentee l Edward Grann at MSSNG PCES 2023
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival | GOLDEN REEL BEST SHORT
deadCenter Film Festival | SPECIAL GRAND JURY BEST SHORT
Julia S Gouw Short Film Competition w/ Janet Yang Productions & CAPE 2022
Reel Sister Fellowship l 2022
New York EMMY l THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES 2022
Best Director l Diversity in Cannes Film Festival 2020 l Strangers' Reunion
New York EMMY l THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES l 2020
Best World Actor & Best World Short l Soho International Film Festival 2020
Best Screenplay l Brand Film Festival London 2019 l Strangers' Reunion
Ritz-Carlton & Hearst Film Competition l 2018
Adoptee Film Festival I Best Film 2024