Nanette Burstein (born May 23, 1970) is an American
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
and
television director
A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...
. Burstein has
produced,
directed
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''D ...
, and co-directed several
documentaries
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...
including the
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nominated and Sundance Special Jury Prize winning film ''
On the Ropes
On the Ropes may refer to:
* ''On the Ropes'' (1999 film), an American documentary film
* ''On the Ropes'' (2011 film), a British mockumentary film
* ''On the Ropes'' (album), a 1999 album by Mint Royale
* ''On the Ropes'' (TV series), a 20 ...
''.
Life and career
Burstein studied film at NYU's
Tisch School of the Arts
The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University.
Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the a ...
.
In 1997 she collaborated on her first film with
Brett Morgen
Brett D. Morgen (born October 11, 1968) is an American documentary filmmaker. His directorial credits include ''The Kid Stays in the Picture'' (2002), '' Crossfire Hurricane'' (2012), '' Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck'' (2015), ''Jane'' (2017), an ...
, producing and directing ''
On the Ropes
On the Ropes may refer to:
* ''On the Ropes'' (1999 film), an American documentary film
* ''On the Ropes'' (2011 film), a British mockumentary film
* ''On the Ropes'' (album), a 1999 album by Mint Royale
* ''On the Ropes'' (TV series), a 20 ...
'', a low-budget documentary that follows the fates of three young boxers and their trainer. The film, shot mainly on BetaSP, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary (feature length), won Special Jury Prize for Documentary at Sundance, won the Directors Guild of America's award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary. The film also won the International Documentary Association's Feature Documentary award, a Silver Spire at the San Francisco International Film Festival, the Urbanworld Film Festival Best Documentary, and the Land Grant Award at the Taos Talking Picture Festival. The film was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award (“Truer than Fiction” award).
In 1998 with Nancy Tong she co-wrote the script for Tong's matter-of-fact documentary ''In the Name of the Emperor'' of the massacre of over 300,000 Chinese civilians by the Japanese in the
Rape of Nanjing
The Nanjing Massacre (, ja, 南京大虐殺, Nankin Daigyakusatsu) or the Rape of Nanjing (formerly romanized as ''Nanking'') was the mass murder of Chinese civilians in Nanjing, the capital of the Republic of China, immediately after the ...
in 1937.
In 2002 she and Morgen teamed up again for the
Robert Evans
Robert Evans (born Robert J. Shapera; June 29, 1930October 26, 2019) was an American film producer, studio executive, and actor, best known for his work on '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1968), ''Love Story'' (1970), ''The Godfather'' (1972), and ''Chi ...
biography ''
The Kid Stays in the Picture
''The Kid Stays in the Picture'' is a 1994 print autobiography by film producer Robert Evans. A film adaptation of the book was released in 2002.
The title comes from a line attributed to studio head Darryl F. Zanuck, who was defending Evans a ...
''. The film was very positively reviewed and won the International Press Academy and Boston Society of Film Critics award for Best Documentary. It was also nominated for Best Documentary by the Chicago, Online, Phoenix and Broadcast Film Critics.
In 2004, she produced a documentary television show ''Film School'' for IFC with Jordan Roberts, following four film students at their alma mater, Tisch. In 2007 Burstein was executive producer and writer on the VH1 Rock Doc ''NY77: The Coolest Year In Hell'' which showcases the rise of hip hop, punk, disco, and graffiti in New York City in 1977. She also executive produced the doc
American Shopper.
Her documentary
American Teen was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the
2008 Sundance Film Festival. For the project, she lived in the small town of Warsaw, Indiana for 10 months, filming daily. She ended up with 1000 hours of footage, which took a year to edit.
Nanette is the mother of one daughter. She lives in New York and co-owned a Manhattan bar, The Half-King, with
Scott Anderson, and
Sebastian Junger
Sebastian Junger (born January 17, 1962) is an American journalist, author and filmmaker who has reported in-the-field on Dirty,_dangerous_and_demeaning, dirty, dangerous and demanding occupations and the experience of Light_infantry#United_Sta ...
.
Filmography
* ''
On the Ropes
On the Ropes may refer to:
* ''On the Ropes'' (1999 film), an American documentary film
* ''On the Ropes'' (2011 film), a British mockumentary film
* ''On the Ropes'' (album), a 1999 album by Mint Royale
* ''On the Ropes'' (TV series), a 20 ...
'' (1999)
* ''
Say It Loud: A Celebration of Black Music in America'' (2001, TV mini-series)
* ''
The Kid Stays in the Picture
''The Kid Stays in the Picture'' is a 1994 print autobiography by film producer Robert Evans. A film adaptation of the book was released in 2002.
The title comes from a line attributed to studio head Darryl F. Zanuck, who was defending Evans a ...
'' (2002)
* ''Film School'' (2004,TV series)
* ''Autobiography'' (2005, TV series)
* ''
American Shopper'' (2007)
* ''
NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell'' (2007, TV series)
* ''
American Teen'' (2008)
* ''
Going the Distance'' (2010)
* ''
New Girl
''New Girl'' is an American television sitcom created by Elizabeth Meriwether and produced by 20th Television for Fox that originally aired from September 20, 2011, to May 15, 2018. The series revolves around a kooky teacher, Jessica Day ( Zoo ...
(2012)
* ''
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23'' (2012)
* ''The Price of Gold (2014)
* ''
Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee'' (2016)
* ''
Hillary'' (2020)
* ''
Killer Sally
Sally McNeil (born September 30, 1960) is an American former professional bodybuilder, who was convicted for the murder of her husband Ray McNeil, a Mr. Olympia competitor.
Early life and education
McNeil was born Sally Dempsey in Allentown, Pen ...
'' (2022)
References
External links
*
Interview with Burstein about the ''Film School'' project*
ttp://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=2530 eFilmCritic.com interview with Nanette Burstein and Jordan Roberts about 'American Teen.'* Nanette Burstein's Guest DJ Set on KCR
KCRW Guest DJ Set
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burstein, Nanette
1970 births
Film directors from New York (state)
20th-century American Jews
Living people
Artists from Buffalo, New York
Tisch School of the Arts alumni
American documentary filmmakers
Directors Guild of America Award winners
American women documentary filmmakers
21st-century American Jews