ABOUT
Boccella Productions makes movies that bridge communities and cultures to stimulate connection, compassion and awe.
Mia Boccella is a filmmaker, photographer, artist, life coach and equestrian. Her four grandparents emmigrated from Italy to Pittsburgh, PA where she was born and raised. She began her film career in Pittsburgh before moving to Santa Fe, NM where she worked for ten years on feature films. She founded Boccella Productions in 2005, produced two full length documentary films and In 2019 was invited to photograph at the inauguration of the first two Native American Congresswomen at the U.S. Capital in Washington D.C.
Most recently Mia was awarded a grant from The Dressage Foundation to support her current documentary in development. In 2022 she was the recipient of the Getty Images Creative Grant and won 2nd prize for her proposal about The Blind Equestrian Community, of which she is a member. She also edited a photographic volume “Pittsburgh Streets 1950s” by Michael Rosella, which was launched at the Heinz History Center.
Mia received a BFA cum laude from Carnegie Mellon University, studied Italian language at E.N.A.I.P. BOLOGNA in Bologna, Italy and earned a Life Coach certification from Coach Training Alliance. Mia is a member of the ReelAbilities Commitee, the Blind Equestrian Community, Documentary Filmmakers with Disabilities (FWD-Doc) and the Italian American Advisory Council at the Heinz History Center. Mia received
She has previously volunteered with Blind and Visual Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh, Native American Democratic Caucus of New Mexico, Pittsburgh Public Schools where she taught a documentary film class “Movies with a Message” and served on the board of the New Mexico Women’s Foundation. In 2013 Mia was recognized and honored as a “Leading Lady” by Oakland Catholic High School.
Mia has been losing her vision for the past 30 years and her visual limitations have challenged her but ultimately fueled her determination and creativity. Riding horses has been life-changing for her and provides guidance and joy for both her body and mind.
Another facet of her life is intentional allyship and respectful advocacy for cultural preservation of Indigenous communities. She has a relationship with Diné (Navajo) and Pueblo tribes of New Mexico that spans over 30 years.
Her films have been screened and broadcast Internationally in Australia, South Korea, China, Turkey and many other countries across Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Her films have also been used as educational tools by thousands of people in schools, universities, treatment and rehabilitation centers, prisons and Indigenous communities in the US and around the world.
Boccella Production’s first film, “When Your Hands are Tied” premiered at the Native American Film Festival in San Francisco in 2006 and received the Empowering Youth Award at the Sin Fronteras Film Festival and Best Native Women in Film and TV award at The Red Nation Film Festival. Her film “Elefamila” was a finalist at the International Wildlife Film Festival and was included in The Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.
Experience
Feature Film Industry 1990-2000
Worked on dozens of films as a member of the Art Department on location in Pittsburgh PA, Santa Fe, NM and Los Angeles, CA. Universal Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Good Machine, Tri-star Pictures, CBS Entertainment, Orion Pictures, Warner Brothers, Castle Rock Entertainment
Boccella Productions LLC Owner 2005-present
Production of documentary films, web video, promotional and educational films and Photography
Producer / Director / Editor / Director of Photography – 2019–2021
•“When Your Hands Are Tied” (full length documentary 2006
“Getting Fit after 50” AARP Bulletin (multimedia web short) 2008
“The Great Race” AARP Bulletin (multimedia web short) 2008
“The Passing Of The Torch” The Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra 2009 (web short)
“Black Nativity” Shona Sharif African Drum and Dance Ensemble 2010
“Retirement Communities Say Bring In The Kids!” AARP Bulletin (web) 2011
“Elefamilia” (full length documentary) 2012
“Four Winds Gallery 40th Anniversary Video” (web short) 2014
Director of Photography
“Fashion Africana” 2011 (short for web)
“In Sisterhood: The Women’s Movement In Pittsburgh” 2008 -2011
Argentine Productions 2015-2025
Associate Producer / Writer / Researcher/Audio description
“Little Things: Big Problems Invasives Impacting Culture” U.S. NPS 2013
“The Legendary Larry Doby” U.S. National Park Service 2015
“Hinchliffe Stadium"Patterson Great FalLs National Historical Park 2015
Audio Description for multimedia exhibits
Fort Monroe National Monument 2021
Valley Forge National Historic Park "Diversity Short” 2021
John Wesley Powell National Conservation Area “Untamed Lands” 2022
Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum 2024 A Women’s Place in History exhibit Heinz History Center 2024
Longfellow House National Historic Site “Juneteenth” 2024