Ceanothus Productions

Independent Filmmaking

Films

‍Constellations of the Sea

Filmed in 2025 and completed in early 2026, Constellations of the Sea follows Addie’s field research with the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme, documenting efforts to conserve endangered whale sharks and the challenges of protecting a species at the center of a growing tourism industry.

Sage Market

Completed in spring 2026, Sage Market is a short documentary portrait of the owner of a Japanese market in Salt Lake City and the personal history behind the business. The film explores connections between food, family, tradition, and the community that has grown around the market since its founding in 1910.

The image features a textured background with handwritten text and a large overlay title. The handwritten text includes the phrases: 'the lake is changing constantly,' 'noisy we cannot hear the earth,' 'i realized that i wasn't alone,' and 'by sight, by sound, by heart.' The main title in large white text reads 'ELEGY OF SALT,' followed by smaller text 'a documentary film.' The bottom portion shows a landscape of water with ripples, and the overall tone of the image is subdued and contemplative.

‍Elegy of Salt

Completed during the summer of 2026, Elegy of Salt explores the Great Salt Lake through a photographer with generations of family history on Antelope Island and a Shoshone Elder whose connection to the lake reaches through generations of Indigenous history.

A woman in a white tank top and denim shorts is standing on a flat, dry, white landscape, looking through a telescope. She is barefoot, and the landscape extends to distant mountains under a clear blue sky.

About Ceanothus Productions

Ceanothus Productions was founded by Addie Akina Knoll to develop and produce independent films.

Addie is a 17-year-old filmmaker and high school senior at the Waterford School in Sandy, Utah. Her debut documentary, Constellations of the Sea, grew out of her field research with the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP) and explores the conservation of endangered whale sharks amid a rapidly growing tourism industry. The film has received awards and recognition from more than 45 film festivals across six continents.

Her most recent documentary, Elegy of Salt, turns closer to home, exploring the relationships between people, memory, and place at Utah’s Great Salt Lake. Through her work, Addie is particularly interested in the intersection of environmental storytelling, culture, and the ways people understand and connect with the natural world.

Selected Awards and Recognition

Addie’s films have received awards and recognition from more than 50 film festivals across six continents. Selected recognition includes:

Indy Shorts International Film Festival - Audience Choice Award

Heartland Film Festival - Encore Screening

Mill Valley Film Festival - Official Selection

United Nations Association Film Festival - Official Selection

ECOFILM (Europe’s oldest environmental festival) - Official Selection

Wildlife Conservation Film Festival - Official Selection

Sidewalk Film Festival - Official Selection

DaVinci Film Festival - Official Selection

All American High School Film Festival - Official Selection

San Diego Young Filmmakers Festival - Best Documentary and Festival Favorite

Ocean Youth Eco Film Festival - Audience Choice

Balboa Del Mar Film Festival - Judge’s Favorite

Grand Cine Carnival Maldives - Best Student Film

View all awards and complete festival history on FilmFreeway