LINDSAY KEYS Filmmaker, Photographer & Writer*~

About Me

I was raised in a rural farm town (Salem, New York, pop. 1,000) where at an early age, the arts—and renting movies—became my escape from the mundane. In high school, I decided I would orient my life toward cameras. Why? It was a hunch, or maybe it’s in my DNA. My paternal grandfather, Sonny, was a blue-collar worker who often had a camera in his hands. Only after his death did I realize he had an extraordinary eye.

I received a Bachelor’s in Studio Art at Wesleyan University, which is where I discovered the darkroom and the world of filmmaking. Upon graduating in 2011, I moved to New York City to freelance in photography and film production. Scripts of my own started to take shape, and I even acted in a couple films, then my health completely unraveled due to years of undiagnosed Lyme and tick-borne diseases.

In the fall of 2015, I connected with another filmmaker in the same situation—Winslow Crane-Murdoch—through a chance encounter at a local doctor’s office. While navigating debilitating symptoms and medical treatment, we co-directed a feature documentary (The Quiet Epidemic), in association with the legendary Pennebaker Hegedus Films (The War Room, Startup.com, Unlocking the Cage)—who we also met through a chance encounter.

Following the The Quiet Epidemic’s festival circuit, theatrical run and VOD release (2022-2023), I co-led the film’s impact campaign, which culminated in events at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in the fall of 2024—nine years after Winslow and I first met, and started researching. You can watch The Quiet Epidemic here and learn more about the film and impact campaign here.

After dedicating 1/4 of my life to The Quiet Epidemic, everyone is asking—what’s next?

Writing is one of my greatest passions, and my desire to write screenplays never went away. I host a virtual writing community called Pressure Release, to hold space for others who want to develop a writing practice (whether professionally or just for fun). We have weekly drop-in group co-working sessions, monthly writing workshops, and I support people 1-on-1.

Photography will forever be one of my great loves. I still appreciate any opportunity to pick up my cameras. I am most passionate about documentary and portrait photography, but really, I enjoy photographing everything. For the right project, I will pull out my cameras.

Lastly, my health has improved significantly over the past decade. I am lucky to be alive—with an even greater sense of purpose—and hope to make the most of however much time I have left here on Earth. A big thank you to everyone who has supported me, my health, and my big dreams along the way.

Want to collaborate?

I wear many hats: director, producer, writer, project launcher, photographer, graphic designer, fundraiser, and more. If you have an idea or project that you may want support with, reach out.