Rah Dakota is a Melbourne-based award-winning editor, cinematographer and filmmaker with over a decade of experience crafting documentaries, commercials, fashion films and branded content.

Rah's practice is driven by a love of storytelling through the edit. She is drawn to emotionally driven, visually rich work and specialises in shaping films that balance cinematic rhythm with authentic human moments. Her background as a cinematographer and producer gives her a deeper understanding of story beyond the timeline, allowing her to collaborate closely with directors and bring a strong visual and narrative instinct to every project.

Her editing work has been recognised at Australia's leading film festivals and industry awards. She won Best Australian Fashion Film at Melbourne Fashion Festival for NGURRAWAANA. She also wonBest Short Documentary at both Antenna Documentary Film Festival and the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) for MAHIKA KAI. Rah received Best Lived Experience Led Storytelling at both the TheMHS Learning Network Journalism Media & Storytelling Awards and the Engagement Australia Excellence Awards for Cracks in the Ice. She also won the St Kilda Film Festival for Motherhood in the Colony, where she worked as producer, cinematographer and editor.

Rah's work has screened internationally at festivals including Aesthetica Short Film Festival and Flickerfest, while her practice extends beyond traditional screen work into gallery and exhibition spaces. She has created moving image works for ACMI, including the Goddess exhibition, alongside campaigns and films for organisations such as the Australian Human Rights Commission, Disney, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Broadsheet. Her work has also contributed to projects recognised by the Webby Awards, the AIMIA Awards, and the Mumbrella Publish Awards.

Known for thoughtful collaboration, strong visual sense, and meticulous storytelling, Rah approaches each edit with curiosity, precision, and care. Whether crafting documentaries or commercial work, she believes great editing shapes how an audience feels.

Selected Awards:

• Best Australian Fashion Film — Melbourne Fashion Festival (2026) — NGURRAWAANA (Editor)

• Best Short Documentary — Antenna Documentary Film Festival (2026) — MAHIKA KAI (Editor)

• Winner — St Kilda Film Festival (2025) — Motherhood in the Colony (Producer, Cinematographer & Editor)

• Best Short Documentary — Australian International Documentary Conference (2025) — MAHIKA KAI (Editor)

• Best Lived Experience Led Storytelling — TheMHS Learning Network Journalism Media & Storytelling Awards — Cracks in the Ice (Producer & Editor)

• Best Lived Experience Led Storytelling — Engagement Australia Excellence Awards (2025) — Cracks in the Ice (Producer & Editor)

• Winner — Monster Children Short Film Awards (2023) — NGURRAWAANA (Editor)

• Agency Recognition — AIMIA Awards, Webby Awards, Mumbrella Publish Awards