Sarah J. Cornelius

Sarah is originally from Madison, Wisconsin. She made her screen debut in the acclaimed short film Leave You in Me (2007). Her vulnerably raw work in the film garnered her Best Actress Award wins at the NYC PictureStart Film Festival and LA's Show Off Your Short Film Festival. Shortly after the film's completion, Sarah moved from New York to Los Angeles. She guest starred on Monk (2002), Ghost Whisperer (2005) and Mental (2009). She also took on roles in several other TV and Film projects. Sarah is an accomplished, classically trained singer. Her cover of the Conor Oberst/Bright Eyes song Lua was featured in the pilot Halfway There (2018) in 2018. In 2021, Sarah appeared in a supporting role in the Lifetime TV movie Desperate Widows (2021). In the fall of 2014, Sarah joined the award-winning independent film company Whitewater Films as Creative Executive and Chief of Staff for director-producer Rick Rosenthal. 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. While at Whitewater, Sarah has comprehensively contributed to development, pre-production, on set and off set administration, post-production, distribution, and festival relations. Sarah has functioned as Executive Assistant on seven feature films and one pilot. The comedy film Band of Robbers (2015) was directed by the Nee Brothers who have gone on to helm Sandra Bullock starrer The Lost City (2022). Kerem Sanga's First Girl I Loved (2016) was the Sundance 2016 Winner, Best of NEXT. Standing Up, Falling Down (2019) the Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz starrer, premiered at Tribeca 2019. And the pilot Halfway There (2018) with a cast including Matthew Lillard, Sarah Shahi, Esai Morales and Blythe Danner won Sundance's inaugural Episodic Showcase in 2018. Whitewater released two features in 2021 including The Boy Behind the Door (2020) on AMC-owned horror streamer Shudder, and Small Engine Repair (2021) starring Jon Bernthal and Shea Whigham via Universal and Vertical Entertainment. In addition to production support, Sarah manages Whitewater's day-to-day operations. She is an avid screenwriting coach and enjoys working with amateur and experienced writers. She has supported the development of many scripts that have gone on to place in major screenplay competitions. Her many return clients value her keen eye for story and structure and her ability to communicate conceptual notes in a direct and effective manner. She married Curt Cornelius in 2016.