Ariel Julia Hairston

the Storyteller. the ATLien.

In 2018, three years after graduating from Valdosta State University with a BFA in Mass Media, Ariel created Outlandish, a comedy web series that has garnered nearly half a million views on YouTube and was named “Best Web Series” by Content Creators of Atlanta.

From there, she went on to direct a few short films, such as Centerfold (which premiered at the Oscar-Qualifying Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival) and Now What?, as well as two feature films: Boxed In, starring Reginae Carter and Clifton Powell, and The Comeback, starring Taye Diggs and Apryl Jones.

Ariel entered her career as a freelance videographer. In 2019, she began working full-time as a director and video editor for Straight To Tell, a creative studio in Atlanta. She now works as a director, producer, and video editor for Togethxr, a digital media company based in LA. She doubles as a freelance video editor in the realm of narrative and documentary storytelling and has edited over a dozen short films. She is also a proficient colorist and sound designer, with experience with motion graphics.

Ariel is currently in pre-production for her next film, Both Eyes Open.