MPI congratulates award-winning filmmaker Laura Waters Hinson on her appointment with tenure as Associate Professor in the Division of Film and Media Arts at the School of Communication at American University in Washington, DC. This exciting milestone recognizes not only Laura’s academic and creative accomplishments but also her deep commitment to cinematic storytelling that educates and inspires—an ethos she has shared with MPI throughout the years of meaningful collaboration.

Laura’s connection to MPI spans more than a decade. Before participating in MPI’s 2020 Shorts Development Workshop, she directed and produced her first narrative short film, Moving Violation, through an earlier MPI shorts initiative. The film, starring Milana Vayntrub and supported by an MPI grant, earned the Best Narrative Short award at the DC Independent Film Festival. In addition to her work as a filmmaker, Laura has contributed as an instructor, leading MPI’s Documentary Storytelling Workshop and mentoring emerging voices in nonfiction film.

Laura is the writer and director of the MPI Original documentary feature Project Home: 3D Printing the Future, which explores whether 3D-printed housing can help solve the global housing crisis. She is also the filmmaker behind the award-winning MPI-supported documentaries Mama Rwanda and Dog Days. Both films received critical acclaim, with Mama Rwanda broadcast on ShortsTV and Dog Days airing on PBS WORLD. MPI provided key funding and impact-producing support for Mama Rwanda, which was screened at more than fifty universities across the country, sparking conversations about women’s entrepreneurship and post-conflict recovery. 

Beyond MPI, Laura has built an impressive career as a documentary filmmaker. Her work has been screened at institutions including the U.S. Congress, the United Nations, and the Smithsonian National Gallery of Art, as well as international film festivals such as Santa Barbara, Austin, Seattle Human Rights, and Manchester.

In 2019, Laura further expanded her directing expertise while serving as a director’s shadow on the set of Showtime’s Homeland. Her dedication to craft, mentorship, and the power of film to shape public discourse makes her a fitting addition to the tenured faculty at American University. MPI celebrates this well-deserved recognition and looks forward to Laura’s continued influence in both the classroom and the wider world of film.