Katy-Robin Garton
director. dp. producer. editor
Katy-Robin Garton is a documentary filmmaker passionate about using visual storytelling as a tool to cultivate awareness and change. Katy received a Master’s in Fine Arts from Montana State University's Documentary Filmmaking Program in the fall of 2007 and founded the production studio Sprout Films soon after. From biking across Bhutan with 15 youth to bring awareness to climate change, to capturing the daily life of a female IT entrepreneur in Kenya, Katy seeks stories that give voice to those impacting our world, whose stories transcend boundaries that divide us and unite us. Katy’s recent work gravitates toward highlighting conservation, culture, and global issues.
As a director, editor, and cinematographer, Katy’s work spans global partnerships with organizations such as Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Ripple Effect Images, Microsoft, BRAC, Salomon, The Conservation Fund, Women’s Voices for the Earth, The Bhutan Foundation, YWCA, and National 4-H. While internationally engaged, Katy is equally rooted in her local community in Montana, partnering with organizations such as The Clark Fork Coalition, The Headwaters Foundation, The Montana Governor’s Office, The Namchak Foundation, Youth Homes of Missoula, The Thermal Biology Institute, and The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Katy’s documentary Little Mom Full of Color premiered at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and was awarded a Student Emmy by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Her early graduate work, Invisible Yellowstone premiered at the International Wildlife Film Festival and aired on National Geographic’s, Wild Chronicles. Raised in the Rocky Mountains, Katy now calls Missoula, Montana, home.
Katy is also passionate about teaching others how to find their voice through visual storytelling. She has been a visiting professor for The Colorado College Film Studies Department and an adjunct instructor for the University of Montana’s School of Journalism. Katy has been involved in media workshops for adults and youth since starting her filmmaking storytelling journey.
During the pandemic, Katy found TikTok, and as a filmmaker storyteller couldn't help herself and dove right in, sharing stories of her family. You can watch her videos here.
Kate Sprout
production assistant.
Kate Sprout joined Sprout Films in the summer of 2018 having no previous acquaintance with Katy-Robin Garton, Sprout Films, or even Montana, until a mistaken Vimeo encounter brought their worlds together.
Kate, who hails from Connecticut, is in the beginnings of her creative career pursuits after studying Computer Science and Digital Arts at Dartmouth College. After stumbling across the Vimeo page of Sprout Films while trying to find her own, Kate struck an immediate fondness to the company’s projects and evident values. She was even more inspired by Katy-Robin Garton’s own scientific background and creative journey, and happy to accept a reason to explore Missoula.
While assisting Katy at Sprout Films and becoming further acquainted with the visual storytelling world, Kate is honing her digital arts and computer graphics skills to eventually merge into a career in animation/fx/or graphics.
Birdy
resident sweetheart.
