Elika Rezaee is an award-winning Iranian-American film editor and filmmaker whose work spans documentary and narrative features, shorts, promos, and trailers. Her editorial voice is shaped by an international background and an MFA in Editing from the American Film Institute, where she honed a sharp instinct for structure, performance, and emotional pacing. A Karen Schmeer Fellow (2022–2023) and a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild (MPEG Local 700), Elika continues to build a body of work that foregrounds intimate character studies, nuanced political and social themes, and visually driven storytelling.

In addition to her editing work, Elika is an active filmmaker who has written and directed several short films. This experience behind the camera deeply informs her approach in the edit bay: she understands the pressures of production, the intent behind each shot, and how to protect performance and tone while shaping a story. As both editor and filmmaker, she thrives in close collaboration with directors, helping them translate their vision into a clear, emotionally resonant cut.

Selected Work

Elika's recent feature work includes the critically acclaimed drama Shayda (dir. Noora Niasari), produced by Dirty Films, HanWay Films, Screen Australia, and The 51 Fund, and distributed by Sony Pictures Classics. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award, and went on to screen at major festivals worldwide, including Toronto, Locarno, BFI London, Chicago, Melbourne, and Palm Springs, earning multiple awards and nominations from the Film Critics Circle of Australia and the Australian Directors Guild (ADG Award winner).

In the documentary space, Elika edited Las Sandinistas! (dir. Jenny Murray), which premiered at SXSW and screened at the São Paulo International Film Festival, Washington DC Filmfest, and the Athens International Film Festival, among others. She also cut and post-supervised the 2024 documentary Look at My Furniture: The Mutant Birth Story of "David Lynch Has a Painting Made of Flies Eyes" (dir. Michael X. Ferraro), which has played at Doc'n Roll Film Festival and Sound Unseen Film+Music Festival.

Her broader credits reflect a range of genres and formats. She has edited narrative and documentary projects including Chasing the Rain, Day of Fire, Light Through the Blindfold, Lot 448, and Conducting a Revolution (both part of the Bvlgari x Tribeca Female Trailblazers Series), as well as serving as additional editor on A Case for Love. Across these works, Elika's editorial approach centers on character, rhythm, and a strong sense of visual and emotional continuity.

Post-Production Supervision

Elika is also an experienced post-production supervisor, often wearing both hats as Editor & Post Supervisor on features and shorts. She builds efficient workflows from ingest through delivery, coordinates with color, sound, and VFX, and is known for managing tight schedules and fast turnarounds without sacrificing quality. Directors and producers rely on her to keep projects on track, communicate clearly with post teams, and guide films smoothly through festival and distribution delivery.