Leah X Rathe is a filmmaker and freelancer based in Northern Minnesota. She holds a B.A. in Digital Media Arts with a Paralegal Certificate from Hamline University. Leah is deeply committed to the power of film as a unifying medium that bridges different perspectives. Her passion lies particularly in crafting documentaries, which she sees as a compelling means to authentically connect narratives and amplify voices that have long been unheard. Growing up, seeing individuals like herself portrayed in media instilled a sense of belonging and purpose, motivating her to expand the space for such representation.
Leah is a 2023 Ignite Rural Artist-in-Residence, a 2024 StorySeeds Screenwriting Fellow, a 2024 Tofte Center Filmmaker Artist-in-Residence, and is a member of the 2024 CAAL MOVEE Asian American Leadership Cohort.
Her debut animated short film CHOPSTICK, centered around her own experiences as a transracial adoptee, has screened in many film festivals across the country, including the Adoptee Film Fest, Cucalorus, the City of Angels Women’s Film Festival, and the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival. CHOPSTICK has also received awards for Best Writing and Best Animated Film.
Leah also directed "The Accelerators: Brains, Braids, & Bots," a featurette documentary spotlighting an all-girls First Robotics team on a MN reservation. The film earned the Independent Spirit Award at the 2024 Ely Film Festival and received the Top 10 Best of the Fest Award at the Show Low Film Festival.