EDDIE SCHMIDT is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker, writer/producer, and commentator, as well as the Board President of the International Documentary Association (IDA).
His feature credits include producing, co-writing, and shooting the acclaimed and irreverent IFC documentary THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED, producing and shooting HBO's powerful TWIST OF FAITH (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award), and producing the groundbreaking teenage mosaic CHAIN CAMERA. All three films were released theatrically and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
For television, Schmidt has directed, produced, and written documentary and comedy specials and series for HBO, IFC, E!, Lionsgate TV, Current, A&E, and Adult Swim, including the doc musical SHOWGIRLS: GLITZ & ANGST, the comedic docu/concert hybrid, MORTIFIED, and the doc/reality special, PSYCHIC HOLLYWOOD: THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH.
As a commentator, Schmidt has been seen on G4, MSNBC, IFC, and The Reelz Channel, featured in the Starz documentaries IN THE GUTTER and SEX AND THE CINEMA, and heard on NPR's THIS AMERICAN LIFE. He is also the proud co-author of THE FINGER: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO FLIPPING OFF.
Since 2006, Schmidt has served on the Board of Directors of the IDA (International Documentary Association), a nonprofit community for nonfiction storytellers. During the latter half of 2008, Schmidt was the organization's interim Executive Director, overseeing the 2008 IDA Documentary Awards, the DocuWeek Theatrical Showcase, the website documentary.org, and its magazine, Documentary. Upon returning to his seat on IDA's Board of Directors, Schmidt was elected President for 2009, and recently re-elected for a second term in 2010.
Schmidt is a frequent guest speaker, moderator, and juror at film festivals, universities, and events, and serves as a consultant for documentaries in various stages of development, production, and post. He is currently producing a new feature documentary slated for release later in 2010.
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