Marshall Curry

Marshall Curry
Curry at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Born	1969 or 1970 (age 54–55) Summit, New Jersey, US
Alma mater	Swarthmore College (BA)
Occupation(s)	Cinematographer, director, producer, editor

Marshall Curry (born c. 1970) is an Oscar-winning American documentary director, producer, cinematographer and editor. His films include Street Fight, Racing Dreams, If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Point and Shoot, and A Night at the Garden. His first fiction film was the Academy Award-winning short film The Neighbors' Window (2019). ^[1]

Life and career

Curry grew up in Summit, New Jersey, graduating from Summit High School in 1988.^[2] He attended Swarthmore College, graduating in 1992^[3] with a major in comparative religion.^[4] He was also a Jane Addams Fellow at Indiana University’s Center on Philanthropy.^[5] Before becoming a filmmaker, Curry worked as senior producer at Icon Nicholson, a New York multimedia design firm.^[6]

Curry's first film, Street Fight, was released in 2005 and was nominated for an Academy Award in 2006.^[7] The film received a 100% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes.^[8] It was called "extraordinary" by David Denby (The New Yorker),^[9] and was described as "vastly entertaining" by John Anderson of Variety,^[10] and "filmmaking of the first order" by Scott Foundas of LA Weekly.^[11] That year he was named one of "25 New Faces in Independent Film" by Filmmaker Magazine^[12] and received the Donnet Award for Emerging Filmmaker by the International Documentary Association.^[13]

In 2009, his second film, Racing Dreams, won Best Documentary at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, where it was also runner up for the Audience Award.^[14] It received a 100% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes.^[15] The film was called "The best film of the year" by The Los Angeles Times and "one of the rare documentaries you leave wishing it was a little longer" by The New York Times.^[16]

In 2011, If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front won the award for Best Documentary Editing at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, was theatrically released by Oscilloscope Laboratories and earned Curry his second Academy Award nomination. Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times called it "one of the best documentaries of the year"^[17] and The New York Times described it as "an extraordinary documentary... [a] fearless exploration of complexity in a world drawn to oversimplified depictions of events and problems, heroes and villains."^[18]

In 2014, Curry's film Point and Shoot won Best Documentary at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival^[19] and was released theatrically by The Orchard.^[20] The film was given an "A" grade by John Anderson of Indiewire, who said it was "a virtual swashbuckler".^[21] It was called "brilliantly constructed and provocative" by Peter Keough of The Boston Globe,^[22] "riveting... an extraordinary and quietly disturbing film" by David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter,^[23] and Jay Weissberg of Variety said the "editing is a standout."^[24]

In 2017, Curry released the Academy Award nominated^[25] short film A Night at the Garden, a documentary about a 1939 German American Bund rally at Madison Square Garden, which attracted 20,000 Nazi supporters.^[26] Curry said of the film, "It tells a story about our country that we’d prefer to forget."^[26]

Curry's first narrative, the short film, The Neighbors' Window, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2019.^[27] It won the Best Live Action Short Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.^[28]

Curry lives in Brooklyn, New York.^[29]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2005	Street Fight	Director, producer, cinematographer, editor	Nominee - Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature
2009	Racing Dreams	Director, producer, cinematographer, editor
2011	If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front	Director, producer, editor	Nominee - Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature
2013	Mistaken for Strangers	Executive producer, additional editor
2014	We the Economy	Director, writer	Episode 12: An Amazing Animated Film on the Debt and the Deficit
2014	Point and Shoot	Director, producer, editor
2017	Something Out of Nothing	Director, producer
2017	Funeral for a 747	Director
2017	A Night at the Garden	Director, producer, editor	Nominee - Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject)
2017	The National: Something Out of Nothing	Director
2019	The Neighbors' Window	Director, producer, editor, writer	Winner - Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film

Awards

Street Fight

• Academy Award, Best Documentary Feature (nominee)^[30]
• Emmy Award, Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story: Long Form (nominee)^[31]
• Tribeca Film Festival, Audience Award (winner)^[32]
• Hot Docs Film Festival, Audience Award (winner)^[33]
• Hot Docs Film Festival, Best International Documentary (winner)^[34]
• AFI/Discovery Silverdocs Film Festival, Audience Award (winner)^[35]
• Ashland Independent Film Festival, Best Documentary (winner)^[36]
• WatchDocs Human Rights International Film Festival, Audience Award (winner)^[37]
• Chicago International Film Festival, Award for Excellence in Television (winner)
• Cine, Golden Eagle Award (winner)
• IDA, Jacqueline Donnet Filmmaker Award (winner)
• IDA, Distinguished Documentary Achievement Award (nominee)
• Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay (nominee)^[38]
• American Library Association, VRT Notable Videos^[39]

Racing Dreams

^[40]

• Tribeca Film Festival, Best Documentary (winner)^[41]
• Nashville Film Festival, Best Documentary (winner)^[42]
• Florida Film Festival, Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature (winner)^[43]
• Indianapolis International Film Festival, Audience Award (winner)^[44]
• Chicago International Film Festival, Silver Hugo Award (winner)^[45]
• Jacksonville Film Festival, Best Documentary (winner)^[46]

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front

^[47]

• Academy Award, Best Documentary Feature (nominee)^[48][49]
• Sundance Film Festival, Best Documentary Editing (winner)^[50]
• Dallas International Film Festival, Environmental Visions Award (winner)^[51]
• Miami International Film Festival, Knight Dox Competition Grand Jury Prize (nominee)^[52]
• Miami International Film Festival, Knight Dox Competition Special Mention (winner)^[52]
• Nashville Film Festival, Best Documentary (winner)^[53]
• Traverse City Film Festival, Founders Award for Best Documentary (winner)
• Santa Cruz Film Festival, Earthvision Environmental Jury Prize (winner)^[54]
• Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival, Best Feature (winner)
• Creative Capital Award, Moving Image

Point and Shoot

• Tribeca Film Festival, Best Documentary Feature (winner)^[55]
• Emmy Award, Outstanding Graphic Design & Art Direction (nominee)^[56]
• Gotham Award, Best Documentary Feature (nominee)^[57]
• IDA Documentary Award, Best Documentary Feature (nominee)^[58]
• Cinema Eye Honors, Outstanding Achievement in Editing (nominee)
• Independent Film Festival Boston, Special Jury Prize (winner)^[59]
• Little Rock Film Festival, Special Jury Prize for Courage in Filmmaking (winner)^[60]

A Night at the Garden

• Academy Award, Best Documentary Short (nominee)^[61]

The Neighbors' Window

• Academy Award, Best Live Action Short (Winner)^[62]
• Palm Springs Shorts Fest, Best Live Action Short (Winner - Audience Award)
• Casting Society Artios Awards - Short Film Casting (nominee)
• Traverse City Film Festival, Best Fiction Short (Winner - Audience Award)
• Hollyshorts Film Festival, Best Drama (Winner)
• SCAD Savannah Film Festival, Best Narrative Short (Winner)
• St. Louis International Film Festival, Best of the Fest (Winner)
• Nashville Film Festival, Best Narrative Short (Winner)
• Rhode Island Film Festival, Best Live Action Short (Winner)
• Woodstock Film Festival, Best Short Film (Winner)

References

1. "The Neighbors' Window – Think Shorts". ThinkShorts.com. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
2. Cahillane, Kevin. "In Person: The Smartest Guy in Summit?", The New York Times. March 5, 2006. Accessed October 14, 2018. "So, for one night at least -- the Oscars are Sunday night -- Summit will be in the spotlight as Mr. Gibney joins Marshall Curry (Summit High School class of 1988 and director of the film "Street Fight," about the 2002 Newark mayoral election) as an Academy Award nominee in the Best Feature Documentary category."
3. Marshall Curry '92 Chases Racing Dreams, His Second Award-Winning Documentary Archived 2011-10-14 at the Wayback Machine from Swarthmore College
4. "Swarthmore College | News | Marshall Curry '92 Receives Second Academy Award Nomination". Archived from the original on January 31, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2012., a January 25, 2012 article from Swarthmore College News
5. Street Fight press kit from Human Rights Watch
6. "Bio | Street Fight". POV. PBS. June 18, 2014. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
7. "Street Fight Nominated for Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature". MacArthur Foundation. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
8. "Street Fight (2005)". Rotten Tomatoes. April 23, 2005. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
9. Denby, David. "Candid Cameras". The New Yorker. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
10. Anderson, John (June 8, 2005). "Review: 'Street Fight'". Variety. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
11. Foundas, Scott (February 22, 2006). "Dirty Deeds". LA Weekly.
12. "25 NEW FACES OF INDEPENDENT FILM 2005". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
13. "2012 Jacqueline Donnet Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award: David France". International Documentary Association. November 5, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
14. O'Neil, Tom. "Tribeca Film Festival Awards". LA Times. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
15. "Racing Dreams (2010)". Rotten Tomatoes. May 21, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
16. Holden, Stephen (July 8, 2010). "Too Young for Driver's Licenses, but With Full-Throttle Ambitions". The New York Times. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
17. Turan, Kenneth (July 21, 2011). "Kenneth Turan's film picks: 'If a Tree Falls,' 'Honeymoon Killers'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
18. Revkin, Andrew (December 13, 2011). "If a Tree Falls, Can it Win an Oscar?". The New York Times. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
19. O'Connell, Max (April 24, 2014). "2014 Tribeca Film Festival Winners Include 'Zero Motivation,' 'Point and Shoot' and more". Indiewire. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
20. Kilday, Greg (August 5, 2014). "Marshall Curry's Tribeca-Winning Doc 'Point and Shoot' Goes to The Orchard". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
21. Anderson, John (April 21, 2014). "ribeca Film Festival Review: Why Marshall Curry's 'Point and Shoot' Is Due For a Hollywood Remake". Indiewire. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
22. Keough, Peter. "'Point and Shoot' takes aim at a hero of our time". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
23. Rooney, David (June 25, 2014). "'Point and Shoot': Provincetown Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
24. Weissberg, Jay (November 5, 2014). "Film Review: 'Point and Shoot'". Variety. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
25. "Oscars: 'Roma,' 'Favourite' Top Nominations With 10 Apiece". The Hollywood Reporter. January 22, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
26. Buder, Emily (October 10, 2017). "When 20,000 American Nazis Descended Upon New York City". The Atlantic. Retrieved December 6, 2017. In 1939, the German American Bund organized a rally of 20,000 Nazi supporters at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
27. Grove, Lloyd (April 27, 2019). "A Poignant, Private Look Inside Your 'Neighbor's Window'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
28. "Short Film (Live Action) Oscar Nominations 2020". oscar.go.com. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
29. "Bio | If a Tree Falls | POV". PBS. June 18, 2014. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
30. "The 78th Academy Awards". Oscars.org. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
31. "Award-winning Racing Dreams Follows Three Tweens With Supercharged NASCAR Ambitions". PBS. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
32. "Street Fight - Filmmaker". ITVS. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
33. "2005 Hot Docs Award Archive". Hot Docs. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
34. "2005 Hot Docs Awards Archive". Hot Docs. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
35. "SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival Announces Festival Winners". PR Newswire. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
36. "Ashland Independent Film Festival". AshlandFilm.org. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
37. "Awards". Watch Docs. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
38. Scott, Gabriel. "Writers Guild Announces Nominees for the 2006 Documentary Screenplay Award". Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on January 24, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
39. "2007 Notable Videos for Adults". American Library Association. June 25, 2007. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
40. "Award-winning Racing Dreams Follows Three Tweens With Supercharged NASCAR Ambitions; Special POV Broadcast Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012 on PBS | Press Room | POV". PBS. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
41. Itzkoff, Dave (May 2009). "Tribeca Film Festival Names Prizewinners". The New York Times.
42. Ridley, Jim. "Hipsters,' 'The Colonel's Bride,' 'Racing Dreams,' Van Peebles Cop Prizes at NaFF". Nashville Scene. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
43. Knegt, Peter (April 19, 2010). ""Winter's Bone," "Flag" Top Florida Fest Winners". Indiewire. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
44. Mandel, Nora Lee. "Racing Dreams". Film-Forward. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
45. "Racing Dreams Awards". IMDB. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
46. "Racing Dreams". International Cinema US. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
47. "If A Tree Falls | Bullfrog Films: 1-800-543-3764: Environmental DVDs and Educational DVDs". Bullfrog Films. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
48. "The 84th Academy Awards 2012". Oscars.org. October 7, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
49. Undefeated Wins Documentary Feature; 2012 Oscars
50. "If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front". Sundance Institute. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
51. "2011 DALLAS International Film Festival Announces Award Winners". Vimooz. April 9, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
52. If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front - Awards - IMDb
53. Smith, Nigel M. (April 20, 2011). ""Weekend" & "If a Tree Falls" Win Big in Nashville". Indiewire. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
54. "Santa Cruz Film Festival Awards". Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
55. O'Connell, Max (April 25, 2014). "2014 Tribeca Film Festival Winners Include 'Zero Motivation,' 'Point and Shoot' and more". Indiewire. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
56. News & Documentary Emmy Awards (2016) - IMDb
57. Lewis, Hilary (October 23, 2014). "2014 Gotham Award Nominations Revealed". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
58. Busch, Anita (October 29, 2014). "'Citizenfour,' 'The Sixties' Among IDA Documentary Award Nominees". Deadline. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
59. Malcuit, Caitlin. "IFF Boston Winners Announced". The Backstage Beat. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
60. "LRFF2014 Grand Prize Winners". Little Rock Film Festival. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
61. "Period. End of Sentence." wins Best Documentary Short Film-Oscars on YouTube
62. "The 92nd Academy Awards 2020". Oscars.org. Retrieved February 6, 2020.

External links

• Marshall Curry at IMDb
• Marshall Curry website
• Marshall Curry on Twitter
• Street Fight website
• Racing Dreams website
• If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front website
• Point and Shoot website
• "A Night at the Garden". Field of Vision. October 11, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.