Biography
Robert Nixon Filmmaker/Conservationist - Academy Award nominee Robert Nixon leads film crews to the Earth's furthest corners to capture compelling stories of tribal peoples, threatened habitats and endangered species. His captivating films illustrate humankind's connection to our environment and highlight the urgency of making peace with nature. In High School, Bob's lifelong dream of becoming an ornithologist was shattered by an "F" in Biology. Accepting he was not meant to be a field biologist the ardent young conservationist decided to become their messenger. Thus began a lifelong quest to use film to bring to the world the stories of heroic individuals fighting to save our planet. A fortuitous apprenticeship to legendary British falconer and wildlife photographer Philip Glasier gave Nixon the skills to become both a master falconer and filmmaker. The Falconer, the teenage Nixon's first documentary, centered on Glasier and the Falconry Center's struggle to breed raptors in captivity. Fifty documentaries and dramatic films later Nixon's films share trademarks of sync sound storytelling in extreme locations and stunning cinematography. His powerful stories have touched and inspired millions and brought crucial worldwide attention and resources to scientists and species in dire need. Notable productions include, Amazon Diary, On The Trail of the Giant Panda, The Last Bushmen, Real Jaws, Ancient Nomads, The End of the Game, Elephant Diary, If I Can Do This... I Can Do Anything, Last Word From Paradise, Gorillas In The Mist, America the Beautiful, Endangered Species, The Last Rivermen, The Lord God Bird, Great White Highway and American Heroes. In 1980, while shooting the documentary Fossey's War, Nixon suggested to Dian Fossey that her 15-year battle to save the Mountain Gorilla from extinction would make a powerful feature film. Convinced no one would care, Fossey offered to trade her life story rights for one year of Nixon doing what she termed, "boots on the ground conservation." Dian was partially right. It was only after her murder that Gorillas In the Mist was made. Nixon was Co-Producer. After the film's run Nixon decided to fulfill his promise to Dian by cleaning up one of the most polluted rivers in America. The Anacostia River runs through both our Nation's Capital and one of America's most impoverished and violent neighborhoods. At Valley Green Public Housing complex Nixon convinced nine young men and women to reclaim the polluted Anacostia River in their back yard. They called themselves the Earth Conservation Corps. Two decades later thousands of youth have engaged in Dian Fossey's model of "boots on the ground conservation." The river is rebounding but the cost has been crushing. Nixon has buried twenty-one of his young volunteers, victims of the epidemic street violence. When the deaths of these youth was not covered in newspaper, Nixon and the Corps created a youth journalism program to document their positive contributions. The resulting Earth Conservation Corps films have spawned a movement of disenfranchised urban youth to combat poverty, youth violence and environmental injustice. Nixon's cutting edge contributions in film and conservation have widely recognized including an Academy Award Nomination, five Emmy Awards, the President's Service Medal by President Bill Clinton, "Hero of the Planet" by the National Geographic Society, "Educator of the Year" by Chesapeake Bay Foundation, by the Walter Cronkite Award and as a Hometown Hero by WETA. Mr. Nixon's work has been profiled on "Now with Bill Moyers", "60 Minutes", People Magazine, The Washington Post, TheNew York Times, ABC World News Tonight, PBS, NPR's All Things Considered, CBS Morning News, National Geographic Channel and media outlets around the world.
