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Mikaela Beardsley

Producer · Born January 22, 1970 (56)

Mikaela Beardsley is an American documentary film producer and entrepreneur. She is currently the executive director of the What Works Media Project. Most of her films are distributed by PBS or HBO Documentary Films.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 22, 1970 (56)
Works as
Producer
Titles
9 on MovieCove · 17 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 5% in 30 days

What are Mikaela Beardsley's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Ideas.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
45%
Ideas
18%
Survival
18%
Morality
10%
Power
7%
Self
2%
Community6 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 2

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 3 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
6
Tense
4
Hopeful
4
Melancholic
3
Dread
1
Other
4

How their films linger

Thought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet5
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Mikaela Beardsley's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 9 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Paramount+ (2).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Mikaela Beardsley's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

17 credits, 9 with a MovieCove page.

  • Hard Hat Riot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Producer

  • Beatles '64(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Fake Mayor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Producer

  • A Boston (R)Evolution(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Lincoln Project(2022)

    Show 5 episodes · Producer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all shows

  • A Once and Future Peace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Producer

  • The First Wave(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Fourth Estate(2018)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Meena (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Producer

  • Half the Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 2 episodes · Executive Producer

  • Reporter(2009)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • I Am an Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk and PETA (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Producer

  • Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows(2007)

    Line Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Audience of One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Creative Consultant

  • The Soul of a Man(2003)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Irish in America: Long Journey Home(1998)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • One Point Five (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

Career shape

A full career of 12 titles, 11 of them dated from 2007 to 2025.

Biggest box office

The Soul of a Man (2003)

$593K worldwide

Highest rated

Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows (2007)

Midcredits 89th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Producing11 of 12: 11 only producing, 0 with another roleOther crew1 of 12: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

2000s4 · crew2010s2 · crew2020s5 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.

How do Mikaela Beardsley's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 84th percentile, the median of all 6; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 83rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 9 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 9 titles are Mixed.

  • Divisive2
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · producer

The Lincoln Project (2022)

94th percentile spread · 48% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows (2007)

Midcredits 89th · 82% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Mikaela Beardsley work with?

People who share at least 2 of Mikaela Beardsley's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Martin Scorsese shares the most, 3.

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers