Isabela Zawistowska is a documentary cinematographer and filmmaker based in Ojai, California. Her work centers on character-driven stories exploring the relationship between people, land, culture, and the natural world.

Her recent cinematography credits include HBO’s MONSTERS OF GOD, a documentary series about reptile trafficking directed by Eric Goode and produced by Jeremy McBride, as well as CHIMP CRAZY. She has also shot documentary and branded work for Patagonia, The North Face, Mammut CalTrout, Earthrise Studio, and other environmental and outdoor organizations.

Currently in post-production, Isabela’s most recent film as a director, COMPANION OF THE SETTING SUN, follows 87-year-old chinampera Doña Susana Sandoval and a team of young scientists working to protect Xochimilco, the last remaining lake ecosystem of the ancient Valley of Mexico. The film explores climate resilience, cultural memory, and intergenerational stewardship and has received support from DC/DOX and Mountainfilm.

She also co-directed ROCK FACED IT ALL, a short documentary about 69-year-old competitive paraclimber Teresa Bennett. The film was selected for Mountainfilm in Telluride and the World Parkinson’s Congress.

Her work has taken her across the United States and Mexico, documenting athletes, scientists, farmers, land stewards, and communities navigating environmental and cultural change. She is particularly interested in stories about women, ecology, traditional knowledge, and our relationship to place.

Isabela studied Public Policy and Social & Economic Justice at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she developed a foundation in journalism and documentary storytelling. She is the founder of Chayo Films, an independent production company based in Ojai, California.

She is fluent in English and Spanish and works throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada.