Chicago, IL, USA
$450 - $1000 / Day
Jeff Spitz is a Chicago-based Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Sundance Film Festival honoree and tenured Professor in the department of Cinema and TV Arts at Columbia College Chicago. He is the co-founder of Groundswell Educational Films, NFP, a non-profit production company that combines documentary and social impact campaigns. Jeff’s documentaries have screened and won awards at international film festivals and aired on broadcast networks such as PBS, ABC, A&E and CBC. A winner of the Illinois Governor's International Arts Exchange Award, Jeff collaborates with participants to create intimate, first-person voiced stories that engage mainstream media and help change public policies. Presented by New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the US EPA, Jeff’s internationally acclaimed film, The Return of Navajo Boy, triggered a federal investigation into uranium poisoning and helped the Navajo tribe win the largest environmental settlement in Native American history. Groundswell projects unfold within larger strategic campaigns involving multiple audiences including schools, universities, mainstream media reporters, bloggers, community-based organizations, public policy makers, faith institutions, large non-profits and broadcasters. (See links below.) Multi-award-winning documentaries and social impact campaigns such as Food Patriots, The Robben Island Singers and The Return of Navajo Boy generate international recognition and real world results for years. An Education Consultant, Jeff provides professional development training in media arts. He guides teachers in hands-on experiences in visual storytelling with iPhones, iPads, digital video cameras and interactive learning management systems so they can develop project-based curricula in new media. In 2016 Jeff created The Doc Talk Show - an ongoing monthly series of live events featuring non-fiction filmmakers bringing their cutting edge work to new audiences in person. See http://www.thedoctalkshow.com
I researched, wrote, produced and directed this Sundance Film Festival and PBS selection. I raised funds and continued filming with Navajo participants to create a webisode series across 15 years. The doc triggered a federal investigation and lead to a billion dollar legal settlement for the Navajo Nation.
I created and produced 30 episodes of this live non-fiction film showcase titled The Doc Talk Show. I curated the work, hired crews and produced this program which promotes freelance filmmakers. So far we have presented more than 175 filmmakers in Chicago and online.
Short educational documentary about high school students learning about environmental science. Worked with high schools and crew to develop the idea and storyline.
Video
Production Support
Miscellaneous