Anna Katherine Scanlon is a storyteller and strategist. She has spent a decade advising, managing and staffing on more than two dozen political campaigns, including presidentials, statewide and federal races. After her last stint on the campaign trail as a senior national staffer for Bernie 2020, she moved into non-profit world. She currently works at an anti-corruption organization, where she lends her skills and expertise to legislative campaign planning, grantwriting, grasstops and grassroots organizing, and communications strategy, among other things.

As a filmmaker, Anna blends raw, unflinching honesty about human nature—and the often ugly world we’ve created—with a comedic touch and deep commitment to hopefulness as a choice and a practice. Her first short film script (2023) and first pilot script (2024) both placed at the Austin Film Festival. Her debut short film, Toss Up (2026), is inspired by the true story of the first political campaign she managed, and examines what it means to keep fighting, even when the deck is stacked against you. At a time when all the world’s strongest political forces seem committed to devaluing human life and creativity, Anna believes deeply that art has never been more important than it is now.

Originally from Washington DC, Anna has lived in half a dozen states and traveled through 48. She isa proud alum of the University of Texas, and is based in Los Angeles. When not making movies and practicing politics, she enjoys writing on Substack, taking photos, spending time in nature, and playing with her cat, Soda Pop.