Allison Walsh

Allison Walsh (they/she) is an independent documentary film director, fine artist, and founder of the Big Picture Peoria Film Festival. Her work amplifies underrepresented voices and explores the complexities of identity, culture, and spirituality in the Midwest.

Walsh’s films have screened internationally in Paris, Barcelona, and Mexico City, as well as across the United States. She has served as cinematographer and producer on documentaries for ESPN+, Discovery+, Magnolia Network, and numerous independent projects. In 2019, she interned at Kartemquin Films in Chicago, contributing to City So Real (Sundance, National Geographic) by Oscar-nominated director Steve James.

Their first feature documentary, All of the Above, explores the constitutionality of teaching about religion in public schools—filmed at her own former high school. The project is in association with Kartemquin Films and is slated for release in 2026.

Walsh’s work has been recognized with major honors, including selection as one of just ten fellows in the 2025 PBS Ignite Fellowship (chosen from nearly 4,000 applicants). She is also a recipient of the Kartemquin Emerging Storytellers Fund (2019), the Illinois Arts Council Individual Artist Program (2019, 2021, 2023), and the Acorn Equality Grant (2018). She has been invited to speak about her films at Western Illinois University and the El Paso Museum of History.

After joining the art collective YAKU, Walsh established their home base in Peoria, Illinois, where they launched the production company Aluma Media to employ and mentor emerging filmmakers. Walsh holds a BFA from Bradley University with concentrations in Painting, Spanish, and Philosophy, and enjoys traveling, speaking Spanish, and playing soccer.