Sarah J. Cornelius

Sarah J. Cornelius is a producer at Whitewater Films. She is drawn to stories that are intelligent, accessible, and visually compelling. Her creative choices are influenced by her desire to empower women and marginalized communities, acknowledge good men, and remind people that humor and beauty are often found in the most unexpected places.

Whitewater's CEO is veteran producer Rick Rosenthal, the Oscar and Emmy-nominated Director and Producer whose more than 100 credits include Amazon's Transparent (2014) and Humanitas Prize and Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award winner Mean Creek (2004). During her 8+years at Whitewater, Sarah has worked on such films as the critically acclaimed horror-thriller The Boy Behind the Door (2020), Small Engine Repair (2021) starring Jon Bernthal and Shea Whigham, Standing Up, Falling Down (2019) starring Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz, and more. Whitewater has produced projects for Paramount Classics, The Orchard, Showtime, CNN Films, Netflix, IFC and Samuel Goldwyn Films. Whitewater's numerous notable films have won Independent Spirit Awards, the Sundance Directing Award, a Primetime Emmy, and audience awards at SXSW and Tribeca Film Festivals.

Sarah recognizes the challenges film distributors face, and aims to provide solutions that are marketable, bankable, and relevant. Her mission is to produce film and TV that "buzz" in the marketplace and align with the cultural conversation. She enjoys working with teams to elevate and organize ideas into clear, cohesive blueprints for action. She graduated magna cum laude from Illinois Wesleyan University. Sarah grew up as the youngest sibling in a multiracial family in Wisconsin, and she entered the industry by way of acting.