(please note, the site is being updated)
Telling stories that put purpose, people, and planet, First.
Through Writing, Lens, Research, and Facilitation
Based in Vancouver, BC
Sonal Gupta is a journalist, researcher and documentary filmmaker passionate about using her craft to create positive change. With a Master’s degree from University of British Columbia and hands-on training in Los Angeles, she has developed a deep understanding of the intersection between art, film, and journalism. Trained in Solutions Journalism by Solution Journalism Network and a first alumni of Story Money Impact’s Empowering Creators for Community program, she is passionate about advancing solutions-oriented storytelling and producing impactful campaigns. As a co-author of the Empowerment Journalism Guide with the Global Reporting Centre, Sonal is committed to promoting best practices for storytellers working in diverse communities.
Sonal was a finalist for the Student Award of Excellence at the 2023 Canadian Association of Journalists for “The Artist Motel,” a mini-documentary featured in The Tyee. She also received the Jack Webster Student Journalism Award in 2022, which is given annually to four Journalism students in British Columbia and her visual journalism was honoured with the Gold Award for Best Academic Video Content at the Canadian Online Publishing Awards 2022.
Currently, Sonal is producing a documentary film in collaboration with Birth Place Lab, which conducted a groundbreaking RESPCCT study exposing alarmingly low levels of respect and autonomy for marginalized groups in Canada, including Indigenous peoples, racialized individuals, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, and newcomers and refugees. The film aims to identify and highlight effective approaches and perinatal care models through community-informed storytelling and collaboration. Sonal is also assisting Charles Montgomery with research for his new book, which explores how the design of urban and digital spaces affects trust.
FILMS
The Artist Motel – Mini Documentary
Multimedia Stories
More Climate/Sustainability Projects
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
Reforestation Nation
“The hardest part of the journey wasn’t when I was away,
it was returning home.”
“Made of walls and beams; built with love and dreams. ”
Feeling body neutral in a world of #bodypositivity
“Ocean conservation is not really about managing fish — it is about managing human behavior.”
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
“All we need is somebody to say you have got a voice,
why don’t you tell your story?”
“There is no recipe for success. You have to cook with instinct and passion.”
“Creating music that transcends age, race, and societal borders..”
“I believe in living a life full of passion. I know if I do something with all my heart, I can jump over any obstacle.”
Let’s connect!
Sonal Gupta 