About
I am a filmmaker, educator and editor based in Wales.For more than twenty years, I have worked across film, media education, documentary practice and academic support, helping people shape complex ideas into clear and meaningful stories.My practice moves between filmmaking, editing, teaching and project development, with a particular interest in memory, identity, lived experience, community and social change.Current work includes Fursa, a documentary project developed between Wales and Kenya, the Urban Circle film programme in Newport, film-based teaching and reflective-practice sessions, and editorial support for researchers and creative practitioners.Based in Newport, Wales · Working across documentary, education, editing and community film culture
Services
I work with independent filmmakers, charities, community organisations, educators and researchers to shape films, learning experiences and written work that are clear, purposeful and true to the people and ideas behind them.
Documentary & Community FilmFor charities, community organisations, artists and socially engaged projects.I develop documentary and community-based films rooted in lived experience, collaboration and meaningful storytelling. I can support a project from its first idea through research, planning, interviews, filming and editorial development.• Documentary development and treatments
• Community and charity film projects
• Interview and narrative strategy
• Creative development and production planningDiscuss a film project
Film & Documentary EditingFor independent filmmakers, documentary makers, artists, charities and organisations with existing footage.I edit documentary, community and independent film projects, helping to find the strongest story within the material. My approach combines practical editing with close attention to structure, character, rhythm, perspective and emotional meaning.• Assembly and rough-cut editing
• Story and sequence development
• Interview-led narrative construction
• Fine-cut refinement and editorial feedbackDiscuss an editing project
Film Education, Workshops & ConsultancyFor schools, colleges, universities, community groups and professional organisations.I design and deliver film, media and storytelling sessions that help learners and practitioners understand how images, sound, editing and narrative create meaning. Sessions can be adapted for students, educators, community participants and professional teams.• Film and media workshops
• Documentary storytelling sessions
• Reflective practice through film
• Screening introductions and facilitated discussionsPlan a workshop or session
Academic Editing & Writing SupportFor postgraduate researchers, academics and professional writers.I provide developmental editing that strengthens the structure, clarity and flow of complex writing while preserving the author’s ideas, voice and ownership of the work.• Dissertation and thesis structure
• Chapter review and developmental editing
• Proposals, abstracts and conference papers
• Argument, coherence and organisational clarityAsk about academic editing
Not sure where your project fits?
Some projects begin as an early idea, a collection of footage, a developing piece of research or complex material that has not yet found its final form. A short conversation can help clarify what is needed and whether I am the right person to support it.
Selected Projects
A selection of documentary, editing, education and community cinema projects developed across Wales and internationally.
DOCUMENTARY IN DEVELOPMENTFursaA documentary following disabled Kenyan artisans and a Welsh disability activist as they work to transform an unfinished borehole into a source of survival, independence and collective possibility.Writer and Director · Wales/Kenya · In developmentFind out more
INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARYThe Shaman of RustIn post-industrial Newport, an unconventional artist transforms derelict spaces and discarded objects into art, ritual and meaning. Filmed during the city’s Empty Shops project, and against the backdrop of the destruction of the Newport Chartist Mural, The Shaman of Rust follows his restless creative process and fragmented memories as he emerges from depression and reclaims a sense of purpose. An intimate portrait of resilience and imagination, the film explores how art can help both an individual and a changing city make meaning from what has been left behind.Writer, Producer, Director, Editor · Wales, 2015 · Carmarthen Bay Film Festival finalistFind out moreTen years later, I returned to related Newport histories as editor of Keefa Chan’s documentary Newport: Rebels & Renaissance, supported by Ffilm Cymru Wales.Watch the trailer
COMMUNITY CINEMA: URBAN CIRCLE FILM PROGRAMMEUCis20A sixteen-film community cinema programme in Newport, combining international and independent cinema with local short films, guest filmmakers and facilitated audience conversations.Curator and Programme Manager · Newport · 2026Find out more
FILM, NARRATIVE AND REFLECTIVE PRACTICEFacilitator, Lecturer and Programme DeveloperWorkshops, screenings and professional-development sessions exploring how film can support reflection, learning and conversations about lived experience.Find out more
CONTACTLet’s talk.I welcome enquiries about documentary development, editing, film education, community screenings, workshops and academic editorial support.If you have a project, film, piece of research or early-stage idea you would like to discuss, please get in touch.Based in Newport, Wales, and available for work across the UK and internationally.
© 2026 Massimo Salvato · Filmmaker, educator and editor