Sam Cullman (born 1976) is a

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

, director and

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

of documentaries, and the founder of Yellow Cake Films, a

film production Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, casti ...

company. Cullman graduated from

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

in 1999, receiving a degree in Urban Studies and Visual Arts.

Career

Cullman was one of the

camera operator A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not imply that a male is performing the task. In filmmaking ...

s on '' Why We Fight'', which won Sundance's Grand Jury Prize for documentaries in 2005. He was a

on the 2007 documentary '' King Corn''. Cullman was a producer and director of photography on ''The House I Live In'', which was the Documentary Grand Jury Prize winner at Sundance 2012 and was the recipient of the "React to Film" Award at Silverdocs. He was also a cinematographer on ''Watchers of the Sky'' (2014). On January 24, 2012, Cullman and

Marshall Curry Marshall Curry (born ) is an Oscar-winning American documentary film, documentary director, producer, cinematographer and editor. His films include ''Street Fight (film), Street Fight'', ''Racing Dreams'', ''If a Tree Falls, If a Tree Falls: A ...

were nominated for an

Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

for the film '' If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front''.''If a Tree Falls'' Filmmaker Reacts to Oscar Nomination
from beyondthebox.org At the 84th Academy Awards, their film lost to '' Undefeated''. In 2012, Cullman and Benjamin Rosen made ''Black Cherokee'', a

short subject A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

, premiering in November 2012 as part of DOC NYC, a documentary film festival. Cullman is a director, producer and the cinematographer of ''Art and Craft'' (2014), with director and producer Jennifer Grausman and co-Director Mark Becker. On December 2, 2014, ''Art and Craft'' was shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. In 2016 ''Art and Craft'' was nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Arts and Culture Programming category. Cullman directed '' ReMastered: The Lion's Share'' which won the 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary.

Filmography

As a director

*2011: '' Why We Fight'' (with

) *2012: ''Black Cherokee'' (with Benjamin Rosen) *2014: ''Art and Craft'' (with Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker) *2018: '' ReMastered: The Lion's Share''

Personal life

Cullman is married to activist Purva Panday Cullman.

References

External links

Yellow Cake Films
Cullman's production company *
''If a Tree Falls'': A video interview with Sam Cullman
for '' POV'' at

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

American documentary filmmakers American cinematographers American film directors Living people 1977 births Date of birth missing (living people) Brown University alumni {{US-film-director-1970s-stub