Experienced Documentary Film Editor – Emotional Family Storytelling (One-Off Project)

I'm looking for a highly experienced and creative video editor to help me create a beautiful, emotional, documentary-style family film. I've been interviewing my grandparents, who are originally from Italy and have been married for over 60 years. The interviews cover their childhood, love story, family history, life experiences, funny memories and advice for future generations.

The purpose of this film is to preserve their stories and personalities for our family to watch for generations to come.
I want my future children and grandchildren to be able to watch this film in 40–50 years and feel as though they truly know them. This is a very meaningful personal project, so I'm looking for someone who can bring the footage to life through exceptional storytelling and thoughtful editing. Including picture slides etc.

There is about 45-50 minutes of video content. I assume the final video will be around 30mins?

What I'm Looking For
I'm not looking for a social media, TikTok or Reels editor.

I'm looking for someone with experience in:
Documentary-style filmmaking and editing
Emotional and cinematic storytelling
Long-form interview editing
Creating a compelling narrative from raw footage
Thoughtful music selection and sound design
Using archival family photos and videos throughout the film
Beautiful, natural transitions between scenes
Knowing when to use music, silence, dialogue and emotional moments
Professional colour grading and audio enhancement
Creating a polished, timeless film that feels like a professionally produced documentary

Your Responsibilities
You'll be given raw interview footage (i have compressed the files), along with family photographs and potentially some older videos.

I'm looking for someone who can take creative ownership of the editing process, including:
Reviewing the footage and identifying the most meaningful, emotional and entertaining moments.
Structuring the interviews into a compelling story with a natural beginning, middle and end.
Incorporating family photographs, memories and other visuals where appropriate.
Selecting background music that enhances the emotion without overpowering the dialogue.
Creating beautiful transitions and thoughtful pacing.
Enhancing the audio and overall visual quality.
Delivering a professional, cinematic final film.
I want the film to feel authentic, heartfelt and personal — not overly dramatic, cheesy or filled with unnecessary effects.

Who I'm Looking For
The ideal candidate will have previous experience editing documentaries, interview-based films, human-interest stories, wedding films with strong storytelling elements or similar cinematic projects.
Most importantly, you must have a strong understanding of storytelling.
I don't want to have to direct every single cut, transition or music choice. I'm looking for someone with the experience and creative vision to make those decisions confidently.

How to Apply

Please include:
Examples of documentary-style, interview-based or emotional storytelling films you've personally edited.
A brief explanation of your approach to turning raw interviews into a compelling story.
Your estimated pricing for a one-off project.
Your availability and estimated turnaround time.

Important: Please don't send portfolios containing only Instagram Reels, TikToks or promotional videos. I'm specifically looking for experience in cinematic, narrative-driven editing.