Sarah Oliphant, one of the art world’s most prolific yet best-kept secrets, has built an extraordinary legacy through her work. Her daughter, Violet Oliphant-O'Neill, now faces the challenge of forging her own artistic identity in the shadow of her mother's success. While Sarah encourages Violet to follow her heart and "find her own adventure," Violet struggles to balance the weight of the Oliphant legacy with her deep desire to stay true to herself. The Promise of Spring explores the tension between honoring family traditions and the search for personal authenticity.

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Director

Anna Andersen

Anna is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, whose work focuses on the dynamism of the female identity and worlds unknown. Anna is dedicated to making the documentary space more accessible and diverse. Over the last two years, she’s helped establish and grow a global mentorship program within the documentary community.

Her documentary work has been screened at Tribeca, DOC NYC, New Orleans Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival, and Florida Film Festival. The Promise of Spring won the Silver Telly Award and has been commissioned by the American Film Showcase for their 2025 slate.

DP

Nilu Amin

Nilu Amin is an Iranian-American Director of Photography. Born in Berlin, Nilu moved to the deep south of Mississippi at age 10. She builds upon her multicultural upbringing with her work—finding inspiration in global and nuanced storytelling.

Nilu believes in an intimate approach to the stories and experiences of the participants she films, holding space and compassion from behind the lens so each voice can be heard.

Her work can be seen in Vox, NowThis, Netflix, and more.

Producer

Katie Rose Vaughan

Katie’s belief that everyone has a story to tell and they’re just waiting for someone to ask has kept her curiosity strong and her passion heightened. As a young kid, she always thought she’d be one of the first well-known female sports broadcasters. While at WSU, she quickly realized - with the guidance of incredible professors - her skills were better meant for behind the scenes. She’s highly organized, loves solving creative puzzles & knows how to direct others efficiently. She got a job in unscripted TV immediately after graduating college and moved up decently quick in LA because she truly loves making television, thrives in the chaos, and has always become fully consumed in her work.

She believes almost nothing is impossible, it’s just a matter of reimagination and communication. Katie’s genuine love for talking to people has led her to produce projects like Gordan Ramsey’s 24 Hours to Hell & Back, MasterChef, Hell’s Kitchen, NBC’s World of Dance, The Bachelorette, Netflix’s Death by Magic, Nike’s Playlist, and NIke AirShop.

Editor

Erin McGoff

Erin McGoff is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, director, and editor, and content creator best known for her feature documentary THIS LITTLE LAND OF MINES (Amazon Prime), short documentary DARROUZETT, TX (PBS), and viral educational videos on TikTok and Instagram.

  • Sarah Oliphant

    Sarah Oliphant has been in the industry for over 30 years and her reputation precedes her. I want to understand her process and journey from first landing in New York to becoming a pillar of the art community with the Oliphant brand.

    Over the years Sarah has taken on apprentices and assistants to engage in her special, hand-crafted art form. One of these apprentices is her daughter, Violet. The questions and main conflict surrounding Sarah are around what happens to the family business when she’s gone? Who will carry on her legacy and maintain the integrity of the brand using this highly unique art form?

  • Violet Oliphant-O'Neill

    Apprentice, rock-climber, and painter, Violet Oliphant grew up as the daughter of a master backdrop painter and famous photographer.

    Working as her mother's apprentice since she was 22, Violet has learned everything from her mother's unique approach to backdrops. Taking these skills outside of the Bushwick studio, Violet struggles to find her own footing in the world due to the difficulty of breaking away from her last name. She strives to create her own art through murals, interiors, and anything she can get her hands on.