Amy Ziering

Amy Ziering
Born 1962[1]
Massachusetts
Occupation Producer, director
Years active 1998–present
Spouse(s) Gil Kofman
Parent(s) Sigi Ziering
Marilyn Ziering

Amy Ziering Kofman (born 1962) is an American film producer and director. In 2013, she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature for producing The Invisible War.[2]

Biography

Early life

Amy Ziering was born in 1962. She is the daughter of Sigi Ziering, a Holocaust survivor and business executive, and Marilyn Ziering, a philanthropist.[3][4] She grew up in Beverly Hills, California.[3][4] She graduated from Amherst College before pursuing graduate work at Yale University, where she studied with Jacques Derrida.[5][6]

Career

Her first film, Taylor's Campaign (1998), directed by Richard Cohen, followed Ron Taylor, a homeless resident of Santa Monica, as he campaigned to win a seat on the Santa Monica city council. Martin Sheen narrated the film.

Ziering then began work on Derrida (2002), a documentary about her former mentor, the French philosopher Jacques Derrida. She partnered with Kirby Dick, with whom she co-directed Derrida.[7] The film explores Derrida's life and work while questioning the limitations of biography. It won the Golden Gate Award at the 2002 San Francisco International Film Festival.

She next produced a feature narrative, The Memory Thief (2007), directed by Gil Kofman. The film chronicles the experiences of a young man who becomes involved in documenting the experiences of survivors of the Holocaust as his commitment turns into obsession and madness. Ziering again collaborated with Kirby Dick on Outrage (2009), a documentary that examined the lives of closeted gay politicians who legislate against gay rights, as well as the mainstream media's reluctance to report on this subject. The film received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Investigative Journalism.

The Invisible War

In 2012, she premiered The Invisible War at the Sundance Film Festival where it received the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film examines the epidemic of rape in the United States Armed Forces, and has been heralded for exposing a culture of sexual abuse at Marine Barracks Washington.[8] Several government officials have commented on the film's influence on policy, including Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, who has stated that viewing the film convinced him to implement a wave of reforms designed to reduce the prevalence of military sexual assault.[9]

The film’s revelations have also been discussed in congressional hearings and spurred lawmakers to seek better safeguards for assault survivors.[10] Senator Kirsten Gillibrand credits the film with inspiring her to introduce the Military Justice Improvement Act, which would establish an independent judiciary to oversee accusations of sexual assault in the armed forces.[11]

Among other honors, The Invisible War received a nomination for Best Documentary Feature at the 85th Academy Awards and won Emmy Awards for Best Documentary Feature and Outstanding Investigative Journalism.[12][13]

Personal life

She is married to Gil Kofman, a filmmaker.[3] They reside in Brentwood and have three daughters.[3]

Filmography

Year Film Role
1998 Taylor's Campaign Producer
2002 Derrida Director, Producer
2007 The Memory Thief Producer
2009 Outrage Producer
2012 The Invisible War Producer
2014 The Hunting Ground Producer

Awards and nominations

Year Award Organization Work Category Result
2002 Golden Gate Award San Francisco Film Festival Derrida Documentary Feature Won[14]
Grand Jury Prize Sundance Film Festival Documentary Nominated[15]
2009 Jury Award Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Outrage Best Documentary Won[16]
2010 Emmy Award National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Outstanding Investigative Journalism: Long Form Nominated[17]
2012 Audience Award Sundance Film Festival The Invisible War Best Documentary Won[18][19]
Nestor Almendros Award Human Rights Watch Film Festival Courage in Filmmaking Won[20]
Silver Heart Award Dallas International Film Festival Humanitarian Award Won[21]
Audience Award Seattle International Film Festival Best Documentary Won[22]
Audience Award Provincetown International Film Festival Best Documentary Feature Won[23]
Best of Festival DocuWest International Documentary Film Festival Humanitarian Award Won[24]
Advocacy Award Peace Over Violence Humanitarian Award Won[25]
IDA Award International Documentary Association Best Feature Nominated[26]
2013 Spirit Award Film Independent Best Documentary Won[27]
Academy Award Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Documentary Feature Nominated[12]
Ridenhour Prize The Nation Institute Documentary Film Won[28]
Gracie Award Alliance for Women in Media Outstanding Producer – News/Non-Fiction Won[29]
Peabody Award The Peabody Awards Won[30]
Impact Award BRITDOC Foundation Jury Special Commendation Won[31]
2014 Emmy Award National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Best Documentary Feature Won[13]
Outstanding Investigative Journalism – Long Form Won[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Derrida" – RealFictionFilme
  2. ↑ "The Invisible War – Documentary Feature – Oscars 2013". ABC. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Danielle Berrin, Amy Ziering’s visible war against military rape, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, February 6, 2013
  4. 1 2 Michal Shmulovich, ‘Gatekeepers’ director plays down Oscar hopes, The Times of Israel, February 24, 2013
  5. ↑ "Filmmaker Amy Ziering Kofman To Present "Derrida" at Amherst College Feb. 5". Amherst College. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Derrida on the big screen". London: The Guardian. July 20, 2002. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  7. ↑ Handelman, Michelle (October 24, 2002). "INTERVIEW: Two Filmmakers Take On a Genius; Amy Ziering Kofman and Kirby Dick Discuss "Derrida"". Indiewire. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  8. ↑ Dawson, Stephanie (2012-06-19). "Film Review: The Invisible War". Limité. Retrieved 2013-01-09.
  9. ↑ Panetta, Leon (2014). Worthy Fights: A Memoir of Leadership in War and Peace. New York: Penguin. p. 453.
  10. ↑ Rohter, Larry (January 23, 2013). "A Documentarian Focused on Trauma in Its Many Forms". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  11. ↑ Huval, Rebecca (10 May 2013). "Sen. Gillibrand Credits The Invisible War with Shaping New Bill". pbs.org. PBS. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  12. 1 2 "Oscars 2013: Complete list of nominees". The Los Angeles Times. January 10, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  13. 1 2 3 "NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS AND SCIENCES ANNOUNCES WINNERS AT THE 35TH ANNUAL NEWS & DOCUMENTARY EMMY AWARDS". emmyonline.org. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  14. ↑ Man, Anthony (May 14, 2009). "Outrage movie: Watch the trailer, read the reviews". Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida).
  15. ↑ Miller, Melinda (November 28, 2001). "Sundance 2002 Opens With 'Laramie Project' – Sundance: Fresh, Familiar Faces at Festival". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. D1.
  16. ↑ "Best Documentary". Awards for 2009 (Miami, Florida: Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival). April 24, 2009.
  17. ↑ Popkey, Dan (July 21, 2010). "Two films with Idaho political connections to be honored at Emmy Awards". The Idaho Statesman.
  18. ↑ Jonathan Riskind (February 26, 2012). "Collins, Snowe rank as least conservative GOP senators". Maine Sunday Telegram (MaineToday Media, Inc.; www.pressherald.com). Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  19. ↑ "British film continues to shine at Sundance". The Daily Telegraph (London: Telegraph Media Group Limited; www.telegraph.co.uk). February 8, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Sundance: The Invisible War at The Human Rights Watch Film Festival". Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  21. ↑ Libresco, Caroline. "Silver Heart Award Winner: The Invisible War". Retrieved January 8, 2012.
  22. ↑ "SIFF 2012 Award Winners". Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Provincetown International Film Festival". Retrieved January 8, 2012.
  24. ↑ "DocuWest International Documentary Film Festival: September 11–15, 2013". Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  25. ↑ "Annual Humanitarian Awards – Peace Over Violence". Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  26. ↑ "IDA Documentary Awards 2012". Retrieved January 8, 2012.
  27. ↑ "The Invisible War – Spirit Awards 2013". Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  28. ↑ Lee, Diana (February 22, 2013). "2013 Ridenhour Documentary Film Prize Winner Announced". The Nation Institute. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  29. ↑ "2013 Gracie Award Winners". Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  30. ↑ 73rd Annual Peabody Awards, May 2014.
  31. ↑ "PUMA Impact Award Goes to...The Act of Killing". britdoc.org. BRITDOC Foundation. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2014.

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