Stories of belief.
Ways of seeing.
Documentary films about people who imagine a different world. A classroom built on curiosity, experimentation, and finding your voice.
Explore selected films ↓
FEATURED FILM / 2026A utopian experiment. A complicated legacy. Former members reflect on life inside the Zendik Farm Arts Cooperative—and what comes after.
Co-director · Editor · Cinematographer · Composer
Watch the film ↗Nominated for Best Documentary Feature, Chicago Film Frenzy; Best Long-form Documentary, Oak Park Illinois Film Festival.
DOCUMENTARY / 2021Inside California’s Kerista Commune
An exploration of San Francisco’s Kerista Commune and the possibilities—and tensions—of building a life outside the mainstream.
Co-director · Editor · Cinematographer · Composer
Watch the film ↗Best Editing and audience honors, Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival. Gina Walker Outstanding Project Award, Communal Studies Association. Distributed by Virgil Films.
DOCUMENTARY / 2018One man. An enduring belief.
The story of Ron Taylor, the final surviving member of Mary’s City of David religious sect in southwestern Michigan.
Co-director · Producer · Cinematographer · Editor · Composer
Watch the film ↗Debuted on WTTW. Distributed on Amazon Prime Video.
I’m Travis Chandler, a documentary filmmaker, editor, and visual arts educator based in Chicago.
My work brings together nonfiction storytelling, creative technology, and progressive education. As a co-founder of Green Candle Films, I make documentaries that explore communal life, utopian experiments, and the people whose beliefs lead them beyond the familiar.
Across filmmaking and teaching, I’m interested in how stories take shape: through listening, experimentation, and the unexpected connections that emerge in the edit.
View my CV ↗“Knowing how to operate an editing system is not the same as knowing how to tell a story.”
Learn by making.
Discover through revision.
I help students develop the practical skills and creative confidence to make thoughtful artistic decisions—and discover their own voices as filmmakers.
My classes emphasize hands-on work, experimentation, and revision. I aim to create an environment where students feel supported and challenged, where mistakes are part of the process, and where work in progress has a place.
Read my teaching philosophy ↗Lecturer · School of Cinematic Arts
Editing the Documentary, editing, visual effects, photography, and cinema.
Digital Arts Educator
Visual Arts Department Chair since 2023
Filmmaking, documentary production, animation, architecture, and digital art.