Danica Simonet

Background

About Danica Simonet

Danica Simonet is a documentary filmmaker and journalist who believes in the transformative power of nonfiction storytelling. Her work spans global investigations into the harms of electronic waste to explorations of the cultural and spiritual significance of water. Her directorial debut,"Bayt Jadeed: Seeking Home," which examined the meaning of belonging for migrant and receiving communities, received an Upper Midwest Emmy Student Production Award. Most recently, her thesis film, supported by a Berkeley Distribution Grant, investigates the difficult choices survivors of domestic violence face when leaving a beloved pet behind. The film is slated to screen at festivals across the United States. Simonet’s path into filmmaking was shaped by her work as Director of Development at Terebinth Refuge, a Minnesota nonprofit serving survivors of sex trafficking. Witnessing both cycles of trauma and profound resilience solidified her commitment to documentary storytelling as a tool for amplifying undercovered stories. At the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, she produced visual reporting on urgent social issues including Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD), access to mental healthcare, Oakland’s largest homeless encampment, and the political fallout of a fatal stabbing at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa. She strives to craft cinematic nonfiction films that entertain, inspire, and drive meaningful dialogue. Her current reporting centers on American political issues, particularly immigration, democracy, and economic justice.