Arian visits Nairobi National Park in Kenya (2026)

Race Rocks Ecological Reserve (2022)

Elephant seal pup, “Cheermeister,” poses (2021)

Cerca Cultivation’s nursery (2026)

Lake Elmo Park Reserve in Minnesota (2021)

St. Croix River in Minnesota (2021)

Arian Tomar is an internationally awarded documentary filmmaker and environmentalist dedicated to centering perspectives that illuminate the numerous paths to a more sustainable future.

Born to a Hmong mother and Indian father, Arian grew up in the Twin Cities. His time spent exploring the outdoors, gardening with his mother, and experiencing Minnesota’s four seasons inspired a reverence for the nature world at a young age.

Consuming a steady diet of Bill Nye the Science Guy , Wild Kratts, Fetch with Ruff Ruffman, The Magic School Bus, NOVA, and Mythbusters, Arian developed a love for science as a way of understanding the natural world he was so curious about. A side effect of his exposure to science media during childhood is that Arian came to see stories as inseparable from science.

Having traveled to visit relatives around the world and witnessed similarities across cultures, landscapes, and ecosystems, Arian sensed that the world was more connected than he was led to believe. The first law of ecology is that “everything is connected to everything else.” As a teenager, this concept made ecology Arian’s favorite field of science.

During his junior and senior years, Arian studied abroad on Vancouver Island off of Canada’s Pacific Coast. There, he saw ecology in practice as he studied marine science and learned about global environmental challenges from international peers.

A budding photographer at the time, Arian reflected on his place among a community of environmentally conscious, global change makers who dreamt of environmental legislation, scientific advancement, and engineering solutions to climate issues.

In ecology, a niche is the specific role and space an organism occupies in an ecosystem. Specialized niches are essential to ecosystem wellbeing as they maximize resource use, minimize fatal competition, and build resilience to environmental shocks. This concept inspired Arian to combine his love for science with an emerging talent for visual storytelling.

Arian’s pursuit of a more connected, resilient, and action-oriented communities inspired by global stories of environmental solutions would eventually take him from Canada to Los Angeles, a city at the frontlines of climate change and the epicenter of the United States’ film industry.

In 2026, Arian graduated from the University of Southern California with a BFA in Film and Television Production with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Over four years learning in LA and two years working with aquaculture and urban agriculture ventures, Arian saw the future of sustainability in social enterprises. Businesses that prioritize positive social and environmental impact not only create cash flow to sustain themselves but their operations scale with their community impact.

After graduating from USC in 2026 and six years spent away from home, Arian returned to Minnesota. Arian hopes to put his education in action and advance sustainability in the Twin Cities.

He is currently working with Friends of the Boundary Waters to educate youth on environmental challenges and develop outdoor skills to use on summer trips to the Boundary Waters. When Arian was 15, he got to experience the majesty of the Boundary Waters while on a team building retreat. Arian is proud to be facilitating education that empowers Minnesotan youth to forge their own connection to the Boundary Waters, coming full circle with the experience that elevated his own love of nature.

Arian can be reached via email at ariantomar@gmail.com. Please reach out if you are looking for support as a documentary filmmaker beginning your journey, an organization seeking a high quality brand story, or an individual with a strong connection to a sustainability challenge.

ACCOLADES

2026 Pine Needles Artist in Residence with the Science Museum of Minnesota

Hear Her, short film, 2025, producer

• Official Selection – Environmental Film Festival at Yale
• Official Selection – Sustainability Shorts Film Festival
• Official Selection – Eco Media Festival
• Official Selection – Timecapsule 2050 Project

Cottonwood, short documentary, 2024, director

• Best Documentary – Earth Stories Film Festival
• 3rd Best Picture – Trinity Film Festival
• Official Selection – Coast Film Festival
• Official Selection – Equinox Documentary Film Festival
• Official Selection – Awareness Festival
• Official Selection – S.O.F.A Film Festival
• Official Selection – Beaver Falls Film Festival
• Official Selection – Oswit Land Trust Saving Nature Film Festival
• Official Selection – Edina Community Shorts
• Official Selection – Artscape Convergence Festival
• Official Selection – Impact Art Festival
• Finalist – Jackson Doc Fest
• Finalist – Planet Forward StoryFest
• Honorable Mention – Climate Future Film Festival
• Nominee – School of Cinematic Arts Impact Award

The Youth Climate Corps BC, short documentary, 2023, director

• Official Selection – Cinema Verde Environmental Film Festival
• Official Selection – International Migration & Environmental Film Festival
• Official Selection – Eco Media Festival
• Semi-Finalist – Portland EcoFilm Festival

More Than We Know, short documentary, 2022, director

• 2022 National Youth Climate Activism Award

Canaries of the Coast, short documentary, 2021, director

• Grand Prize Winner – Student Innovation Contest
• 2nd Best Picture – Let’s Talk About Water International Youth Film Festival
• Official Selection – Eco Media Festival