Eddie Schmidt

Eddie Schmidt is the President of the International Documentary Association (IDA), as well as an Oscar-nominated filmmaker whose work ranges from powerful, real-life dramas to razor-sharp satirical comedy. The latter is in evidence in the acclaimed IFC documentary THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED, an irreverent investigation into the MPAA film ratings system and its impact on American culture that Schmidt produced, co-wrote, and shot. Nominated for Critic's Choice and GLAAD Awards, RATED caused a sensation at the Sundance Film Festival and later in theatrical release, earning raves from the NY Times, LA Times, Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone, among others.

Previously, Schmidt was nominated for an Academy Award for producing HBO's powerful, Academy Award nominated documentary TWIST OF FAITH, about a man who confronts the trauma of boyhood sexual abuse by a Catholic priest. FAITH premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the Amnesty International Film Festival. Schmidt also produced CHAIN CAMERA, a compelling and cutting-edge portrait of contemporary urban high school kids which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. CHAIN, which foretold the video blogging craze, stands as a landmark film about the teenage experience.

For television, Schmidt produced and photographed HBO's SHOWGIRLS: GLITZ & ANGST, an explosive documentary musical that was one of the channel's highest-rated specials of that year. He also produced the intimate hospice chronicle THE END for HBO/Cinemax. On the lighter side, Schmidt was a producer and writer for the E! special WILDEST TV COMMERCIAL MOMENTS, the hit syndicated series BLIND DATE, and he has written & directed digital shorts for SuperDeluxe/Adult Swim.

As a pundit/commentator, Schmidt has frequently appeared on G4's daily talker, ATTACK OF THE SHOW, as well as on MSNBC, IFC, and others. He is featured in the Starz documentary special, IN THE GUTTER, and a new documentary coming to Starz in 2009.

Notably, Schmidt contributed to (and appeared on) National Public Radio's popular series THIS AMERICAN LIFE with Ira Glass. He also co-wrote the popular humor book, THE FINGER: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO FLIPPING OFF.

Schmidt is currently adapting the popular stage show and Simon & Schuster book MORTIFIED into a hybrid documentary feature that he will direct. He is also a consultant for documentaries in various stages of development, production, and post, and often appears as a guest speaker at universities, film festivals, and events.

In 2008, after serving nearly three years on the Board of Directors of the IDA (International Documentary Association), a non-profit dedicated to supporting the art of nonfiction filmmaking, Schmidt was asked to serve as the organization's Interim Executive Director. He held this post from July through December 2008. Upon returning to the Board, Eddie was elected its President, a post he will hold through 2011.