{{Undisclosed paid|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox person | image = | birth_name = Adam Hootnick | occupation = {{hlist|Director|producer}} | alma_mater = Harvard Law School | known_for = What Carter Lost, Unsettled, Son of the Congo, Judging Jewell }}
'''Adam Hootnick'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adamhootnick.com/|title=Adam Hootnick|website=ASH July 2019|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23}}</ref><ref name="jerseyshorefilmfestival">{{cite web|url=http://jerseyshorefilmfestival.com/director-details.php?did%3D47 |title=Adam Hootnick - Director Details |accessdate=2013-08-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123024307/http://jerseyshorefilmfestival.com/director-details.php?did=47 |archivedate=2015-01-23 }}</ref> is a director<ref name="blog.peaceworks">{{Cite web|url=http://blog.peaceworks.net/2008/05/unsettled-an-excellent-documentary-screening-this-week/|title=Unsettled – An Excellent Documentary Screening This Week | Daniel Lubetzky|website=blog.peaceworks.net}}</ref><ref name="forward">{{Cite web|url=https://forward.com/culture/10223/a-documentary-wrings-poetry-from-politics/|title=A Documentary Wrings Poetry From Politics|website=The Forward|date=3 March 2007 }}</ref> and producer of film,<ref name="latimes">{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-unsettled16-2008may16-story.html|title='Unsettled'|date=May 16, 2008|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> television, and other short-form content. His work includes ''What Carter Lost'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/30for30/film?page=whatcarterlost|title=What Carter Lost - ESPN Films: 30 for 30|website=www.espn.com}}</ref> ''UNSETTLED'', ''Destination: Team USA'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tribecafilm.com/studios/destination-team-usa|title=Tribeca|website=Tribeca|access-date=2019-08-15|archive-date=2019-08-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815190219/http://www.tribecafilm.com/studios/destination-team-usa|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Son of the Congo'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://grantland.com/son-of-the-congo/|title=Son of the Congo|first=Grantland|last=Staff|date=March 13, 2015}}</ref> ''Judging Jewell'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/10365079%20Judging%20Jewell|title=Judging Jewell}}</ref> and ''Pro Day''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/13903458|title=Pro Day: L'Damian Washington - ESPN Video|date=October 16, 2015|website=ESPN.com}}</ref> He is currently developing his first narrative feature film.
== Career ==
=== Early career ===
Hootnick's 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. He worked as a producer at MTV News & Documentaries<ref name="gstv">{{cite web |url=http://www.gstv.com/newsitems/team-universal-mccann-wins-gas-station-tvs-inaugural-beer-pong-invitational-tournament-2/ |title=Team Universal McCann Wins Gas Station TV's Inaugural Beer Pong Invitational Tournament « « Gas Station TV |website=www.gstv.com |access-date=26 January 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130827144707/http://www.gstv.com/newsitems/team-universal-mccann-wins-gas-station-tvs-inaugural-beer-pong-invitational-tournament-2/ |archive-date=27 August 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="mtv">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1552095/slamdance-diary-whats-it-like-to-have-your-film-nominated-for-an-award/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123040435/http://www.mtv.com/news/1552095/slamdance-diary-whats-it-like-to-have-your-film-nominated-for-an-award/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 23, 2015|title=Slamdance Diary: What's It Like To Have Your Film Nominated For An Award?|website=MTV News}}</ref> 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.
=== Documentaries ===
Hootnick's first feature, ''UNSETTLED'',<ref name="7x7">{{cite web|url=http://www.7x7.com/arts/special-screening-filmmaker-adam-hootnicks-award-winning-documentary-unsettled|title=Special Screening of Filmmaker Adam Hootnick's Award-Winning Documentary, Unsettled.|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117023639/http://www.7x7.com/arts/special-screening-filmmaker-adam-hootnicks-award-winning-documentary-unsettled|archivedate=2015-11-17|url-status=dead|accessdate=2013-08-27}}</ref> follows several young Israelis during the 2005 withdrawal of Israeli settlements and troops from Gaza.<ref name="csuchico">{{cite web|url=http://www.csuchico.edu/news/archived-news/2011-spring/04-08-11-directory-of-documentary-on-isreal-to-screen-film.shtml |title=Director of Documentary on Israel to Screen Film, Lead Discussion |date=2011-08-04|archiveurl=https://wayback.archive-it.org/10525/20181220154420/https://www.csuchico.edu/news/archived-news/2011-spring/04-08-11-directory-of-documentary-on-isreal-to-screen-film.shtml |archivedate=2018-12-20 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''UNSETTLED'' won numerous awards,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.greenroomorlando.com/ArchArticle.aspx?ID=789 |title=2007 Florida Film Festival Winners |access-date=2015-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117032510/http://www.greenroomorlando.com/ArchArticle.aspx?ID=789 |archive-date=2015-11-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thevillagenews.com/story/25315/ |title=13TH ANNUAL TEMECULA VALLEY INTERNATIONAL FILM & MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES JURY, AUDIENCE PRIZE WINNERS|access-date=2015-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150126095644/http://www.thevillagenews.com/story/25315 |archive-date=2015-01-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sonomafilmfest.org/2008-awards.html |title=2008 Award Winners - Sonoma International Film Festival|access-date=2015-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123212444/http://www.sonomafilmfest.org/2008-awards.html |archive-date=2015-01-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> including the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature at the Slamdance Film Festival.
He directed ''[http://www.espn.com/30for30/film?page=WhatCarterLost What Carter Lost]'', which 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''. The documentary, named one of the year's best documentaries by Sports Illustrated,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/tech-media/2017/12/11/best-sports-documentaries-2017|title=These are the best sports documentaries of 2017|website=SI.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-26}}</ref> was Hootnick's second film for ESPN's Oscar and Emmy Award-winning 30 for 30 series. His first 30 for 30 film, "[https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/10365079 Judging Jewell]," told the story of Richard Jewell, the security guard wrongly accused of bombing the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and was rated among the top films in the history of the series by Rolling Stone Magazine.<ref name="rollingstone">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-lists/the-30-best-30-for-30-films-142965/|title=The 30 Best '30 for 30' Films|first1=Noel|last1=Murray|first2=Rolling|last2=Stone|magazine=Rolling Stone |date=November 25, 2014}}</ref>
Produced in conjunction with Grantland and Executive Producer Bill Simmons, Hootnick's [https://grantland.com/son-of-the-congo/ "Son of the Congo"] premiered at the 2015 South by Southwest Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_FS17778|title=Son of the Congo | SXSW 2015 Event Schedule|website=SXSW Schedule 2015}}</ref> The film follows Serge Ibaka, who was born and grew up in the Republic of the Congo before he was drafted to the NBA.
Hootnick also collaborated with ESPN to direct the short films "Pro Day"<ref>{{Citation|title=Pro Day: L'Damian Washington (Video 2014)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4381818/?ref_=nv_sr_1|accessdate=2017-08-11}}</ref> and "The Outstanding Mind-Bending Basketball Synergy Machine".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://grantland.com/the-triangle/grantland-at-the-sloan-sports-analytics-conference-the-outstanding-mind-bending-basketball-synergy-machine/|title=Grantland at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference: The Outstanding, Mind-Bending Basketball Synergy Machine|last=Channel|first=Grantland|date=2013-03-04|work=Grantland|access-date=2017-08-21|language=en-US}}</ref>
His project for United Airlines and [https://www.tribecafilm.com/studios Tribeca Studios], ''[https://www.tribecafilm.com/studios/destination-team-usa Destination: Team USA]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}'', follows five Olympic hopefuls as they compete for spots on the 2016 Olympic team.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adamhootnick.com/dtusa|title=Destination: Team USA | Adam Hootnick|website=ASH July 2019}}</ref>
He founded and continues to run [https://www.restory.me/ Resonance Story Company], a production company specializing in branded documentaries for clients in various sectors including health care, financial services, and consumer products.<ref name="huffingtonpost">{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/synonymous-with-entertain_b_935330|title=Synonymous With Entertainment: Branded Content and Why it Works|date=August 25, 2011|website=HuffPost}}</ref>
=== Commercial directing ===
As a commercial director, Hootnick's recent work includes NASCAR's tribute to Jeff Gordon, "One Last Time Around",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/NASCAR/videos/10153374465863801/|title=#24ever|via=www.facebook.com}}</ref> as well as projects for United Airlines, Facebook, Tylenol, and the Clinton Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/30for30/film?page=WhatCarterLost|title=What Carter Lost - ESPN Films: 30 for 30|website=www.espn.com|language=en|access-date=2017-08-21}}</ref>
=== Music videos ===
Hootnick's first music video was the Webby Awards-honoree "Shoeshine"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2011/online-film-video/general-film/music/shoeshine-music-video/|title=Shoeshine Music Video -- The Webby Awards}}</ref> with Brooklyn rock band Black Taxi.
== Personal life == Hootnick graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School,<ref name="nysun">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nysun.com/new-york/film-casts-unique-gaze-on-gaza/56926/|title=Film Casts Unique Gaze on Gaza|website=The New York Sun}}</ref> and is currently based in Austin, Texas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adamhootnick.com/bio|title=BIO | Adam Hootnick | Director|website=ASH July 2019}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{official website|https://www.adamhootnick.com}} * [https://vimeo.com/174968438 Clinton Foundation, "Coaching Boys into Men" Video] * [https://www.tribecafilm.com/studios/destination-team-usa United Airlines, “Destination: Team USA” Video]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} * [https://www.restory.me Resonance Story Company]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hootnick, Adam}} Category:American documentary film directors Category:Harvard Law School alumni Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Harvard College alumni