Adam Hootnick

Adam Hootnick^[1] is an award-winning director ^[2][3] and producer of film,^[4] television, and other short-form content. His most recent documentary feature, What Carter Lost, tells the story of the Dallas Carter Cowboys, one of the most talented teams in high school football history, and their dominating 1988 season in Texas, as famously portrayed in the film Friday Night Lights.^[5] This will be Hootnick's second film for ESPN's Emmy Award-winning 30 for 30 shorts series after "Judging Jewell", previously rated among the top films in the history of the series by Rolling Stone Magazine.^[6] Produced in conjunction with Grantland and Executive Producer Bill Simmons, Hootnick's "Son of the Congo" premiered at the 2015 South by Southwest Film Festival.^[7] The film follows Serge Ibaka, who currently plays for Toronto Raptors, and his improbable journey from the violence of the Republic of the Congo to NBA stardom and back again, as Ibaka returns home hoping his basketball success can help rebuild a country and inspire a new generation to dream of a better life. Hootnick also collaborated with ESPN to direct the short films "Pro Day"^[8] and "The Outstanding Mind-Bending Synergy Machine".

His creative career began with news production positions at NBC and MSNBC in the US and Israel, including work with NBC legal correspondent Dan Abrams and NBC Tel Aviv correspondent Martin Fletcher. Hootnick worked as a producer at MTV News & Documentaries^[9][10] covering politics and international affairs worldwide, including news and documentary segments and specials tied to the Iraq War, Supreme Court decisions on gay rights and affirmative action, and the 2004 and 2008 US Presidential elections. His first feature, the critically acclaimed UNSETTLED,^[11] tells the story of several young Israelis from across the religious and political spectrum during the 2005 withdrawal of Israeli settlements and troops from Gaza.^[12] UNSETTLED won numerous awards,^[13][14][15] including the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature at the Slamdance Film Festival.

Hootnick's recent commercial directing work includes NASCAR's tribute to Jeff Gordon, "One Last Time Around", as well as projects for Facebook, Tylenol, and the Clinton Foundation. His project for United Airlines, Destination: Team USA, follows five Olympic hopefuls as they compete for spots on the 2016 Olympic team.^[16] He founded and continues to run Resonance Story Company, a production company specializing in branded documentaries for clients including AOL,^[17] Yellowbook, Deloitte, Hellmann's, Gibson Guitar, Amerigroup, Cenpatico, Public Prep, Gerstein Fisher, and Fonderie 47. His first music video was the Webby Awards-honoree "Shoeshine" with Brooklyn rock band Black Taxi. He is currently developing his first narrative feature film.

Hootnick graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School,^[18] and is currently based in Austin, Texas.^[19]

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