Heather Coker Hawkins

Heather Coker Hawkins is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cinema Studies + Time-Based Art at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She holds dual M.F.A. degrees: in Film Production (Directing specialization) from Chapman University and in Dance from UCLA. Her interdisciplinary practice merges filmmaking, live physical theater, and dance with integrated video projections, focusing on choreographing the audience's perception to explore marginalized narratives and human representation across social and cinematic contexts.

Education highlights include M.F.A. programs at Chapman University and UCLA. Her work has been showcased at venues like Live Arts Los Angeles, Sundance Film Festival, and the Fowler Museum. Industry experience spans film/TV roles (e.g., An Inconvenient Truth, NCIS: LA) and collaborations in ethnographic/dance film production.

Teaching spans UCLA’s World Arts & Cultures/Dance department and AMDA College, emphasizing experiential learning. She is a certified Kundalini yoga instructor, integrating mindfulness into pedagogy. Engaged with university resources like the Media Pool and smART Lab, her creative practice intersects art, movement, and technology.

Notable projects include performance credits at ADF and Matthew Barney’s Cremaster 3, alongside festival screenings at Sundance and Burgundy Video Dance Festival. Her work interrogates visual storytelling through bodily and perceptual dynamics, advocating for multidisciplinary creativity.