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Skye Fitzgerald

Director 

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Skye Fitzgerald founded SPIN FILM to bear witness to unfolding crises with the intent to deepen empathy and understanding. He is best known for a trilogy of films on the global refugee crisis. The first, 50 FEET FROM SYRIA, focused on doctors working on the Syrian border and was voted onto the Oscar® shortlist. The second, LIFEBOAT, documents Search and Rescue operations off the coast of Libya and was nominated for an Academy Award® and national Emmy®.

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The third, HUNGER WARD, explores the impact of the war and famine in Yemen on children, families, and healthcare workers and was nominated for an Academy Award®.

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As a Fulbright Research Scholar Fitzgerald directed the film BOMBHUNTERS and has worked with organizations as varied as the Sundance Institute, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and Mountainfilm.  Fitzgerald is an honorary member of SAMS (Syrian American Medical Society) for his work with Syrian refugees and a Distinguished Alumnus at his alma mater EOU for documentary work.

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Before film-making, Skye cut fire-lines as a member of a HotShot wildland fire crew.

He rides his bicycle(s) to ruin and hugs three dogs on a daily basis.

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Fitzgerald is a member of the Documentary Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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DOCUMENTARY AWARDS 
 
ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINEE - 2021 [HUNGER WARD]
 
ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINEE - 2019 [LIFEBOAT]

ACADEMY SHORTLIST - 2016 [50 FEET FROM SYRIA]

CRITICS CHOICE AWARD NOMINEE [HUNGER WARD]

DuPONT COLUMBIA FINALIST [HUNGER WARD]

SIMA AWARDS -  [Best Director & Best Editing - HUNGER WARD]

BEST DIRECTOR -  [NoT FF - HUNGER WARD]

BEST OF FEST -  [Minneapolis Intl. FF - HUNGER WARD]

WINNER -  [Luminous Frames - HUNGER WARD]

 
BEST SHORT NOMINEE -  [IDA awards - LIFEBOAT]

NATIONAL EMMY® NOMINEE [LIFEBOAT]
 
BEST SHORT -  [Mountainfilm in Telluride  - LIFEBOAT]

INDOMITABLE SPIRIT -  [Mountainfilm in Telluride 50 FEET FROM SYRIA]

SIMA AWARDS -  [Best Director & Best Short - LIFEBOAT]
 
 JURY AWARD -  [Traverse City Film Festival - LIFEBOAT]

BEST SHORT -  [Woodstock Film Festival - LIFEBOAT]

JURY AWARD -  [BendFilm - LIFEBOAT]
 
BEST SHORT -  [Dublin Intl. Shorts Film Festival - LIFEBOAT]

BEST SHORT -  [Courage Film Festival - Berlin - LIFEBOAT]

JURY AWARD -  [DOXA - 50 FEET FROM SYRIA]

ACT NOW AWARD [Crested Butte Film Festival - LIFEBOAT] 

AUDIENCE AWARD -  [Sebastopol Doc FF - 50 FEET FROM SYRIA]

AUDIENCE AWARD -  [Sebastopol Doc FF - LIFEBOAT]             
 
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE/HUMAN RIGHTS - [LA Asian Pacific FF - FINDING FACE]
       
COURAGE AWARD - [Disorient Intl. Film Festival - FINDING FACE]
       
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - [San Diego Asian Film Festival - FINDING FACE]
       
 BEST FILM - [Astoria International Film Festival - FINDING FACE]
                                 
CLARION AWARD - [Documentary Feature - FINDING FACE]

 


INSTITUTIONAL DISTINCTIONS
 
ACTIVE MEMBER - [ACADEMY MOTION PICTURES ARTS SCIENCES]
 
HONORARY INDUCTEE - [SAMS - Syrian American Medical Society]
 
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS AWARD - [Eastern Oregon University]

TOM LANTOS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION,  US Congress
[Presentation of LIFEBOAT w/ UNHCR advocacy panel following]
 
100 Ducks Who Made a Difference - [University of Oregon  - Oregon Quarterly] 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS - [Eastern Oregon University Alumni Association] 

 OMPA  [Award of Excellence]

[EMERITUS] BOARD OF DIRECTORS - [Oregon Media Production Association] 

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER - [Eastern Oregon University]
 
 

 
FILM FESTIVAL JURIES 
 
MOUNTAINFILM [Shorts Jury]
 
IN THE PALACE - [Shorts Jury]

BENDFILM - [Shorts Jury]

ANCHORAGE INTERNATIONAL - [Shorts Jury]
 

 

 
GRANTS 
 
FULBRIGHT RESEARCH GRANT [Documentary Production]
 
SUNDANCE INSTITUTE - [Documentary Grant]

US INSTITUTE OF PEACE - [Documentary Grant]
 
US STATE DEPARTMENT - [Documentary Grant]
 
US STATE DEPARTMENT - [Documentary Grant (II)]
 
PAUL ROBESON FUND - [Documentary Grant]

MOUNTAINFILM [Commitment Grant] 

MOUNTAINFILM [Commitment Grant (II)]

 

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