TONY HALE

editor/co-director :: feature documentary :: 2014
directed by Amy Browne, Jeremy Kaplan, Tony Hale, Brian Wilson; co-editor Brian Wilson

Determined that his last act will be a gift to the planet, musician, folk dancer, and psychiatrist Clark Wang prepares for his own green burial. The spirited Clark and his partner Jane, boldly facing his mortality, embrace the planning of a spiritually meaningful funeral and join with a compassionate local cemetarian to use green burial to save a North Carolina woods from being clear-cut. A Will for the Woods portrays the last days of a multifaceted advocate – and one community's role in the genesis of a revolutionary movement.

The film premiered at Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (where it won two awards) before going on to screen at dozens of film festivals (incl. AFI DOCS, Camden, DOC NYC) and receiving seven more awards (including San Francisco IndieFest, New Orleans Film Festival, Virginia Film Festival, Greentopia, and Rhode Island International Film Festival). In 2014 A Will for the Woods had a consumer, educational, community screening and limited theatrical release, followed by 2015 broadcasts on PBS via America ReFramed and WORLD Channel.

In addition to editing and directing, the post-premiere work for A Will for the Woods included preparing educational materials, editing the hour-long broadcast version, overseeing distribution and business matters, releasing the soundtrack, and continuing to represent the film and facilitate screenings.

See more at awillforthewoods.com

co-editor :: feature documentary :: 2020
directed by Christi Cooper; co-edited with Lyman Smith

YOUTH v GOV is the story of America’s youth taking on the world’s most powerful government. Since 2015, twenty-one plaintiffs, now ages 12 to 23, have been suing the U.S. government for violating their constitutional rights to life, liberty, personal safety, and property through their willful actions in creating the climate crisis they will inherit.

But YOUTH v GOV is about more than just a lawsuit. It is the story of empowered youth finding their voices and fighting to protect their rights and our collective future. This is a revolution designed to hold those in power accountable for the past and responsible for a sustainable future.

YOUTH v GOV is available on Netflix, after a robust festival run, which included being the centerpiece film at Big Sky, picking up three awards at Woods Hole, being honored with the Grand Teton and Editing awards are Jackson Wild, plus awards from Cleveland International Film Festival, Port Townsend, EarthX, and more. And the film’s impact campaign is now underway to bring not just this story to light, but also as the power of youth voices, the role of the courts and civil rights in the global fight for climate justice, and the tools that can help do that.

See more at www.youthvgovthefilm.com

editor/writer/archival research :: feature documentary :: 2019
directed by Deia Schlosberg; co-editor Brian Wilson

Synopsis from The Cleveland International Film Festival:
It’s no secret that we have a major plastic problem. What is less known is how the fossil fuel industry has created and continues to perpetuate this growing international crisis. While most of the conversation has been focused on the need for cleanup, recycling, and waste management, the root of the plastic issue has been largely ignored… and the creators of these products want it that way. From extraction and refinery to consumption and disposal, every step of the plastic-making process is detrimental to the environment and to human health. The consequences of our disposable society are catching up with us, but it’s not too late to create large scale change. Documentary filmmaking at its finest, THE STORY OF PLASTIC exposes the complex truths behind the plastic and fossil fuel industry (which are one in the same). Enlightening and infuriating, THE STORY OF PLASTIC is a wealth of information about the devastating global impacts of a plentiful and poisonous product. Everyone should see this film.

The Story of Plastic premiered at The Mill Valley Film Festival, where it picked up an award and launched a festival run that included CPH :DOX, DOC NYC, Mountainfilm, opening night at Big Sky, and more, plus awards from Napa Valley, NY Wild, International Wildlife Film Festival, plus an award for best editing. The film was broadcast on Discovery in April 2020 and went on to win an Emmy for Outstanding Documentary Writing. The film was also nominated for the Grierson Awards, Environmental Media Awards, and Jackson Wild Media Awards. And it continues to have a robust community screening campaign, available in 30 languages.

editor :: feature documentary :: 2023
directed by Eric Axelman & Sam Eilertsen, consulting editor Brian Kates

Two young American Jews - Simone Zimmerman and Eitan - are raised to defend the state of Israel at all costs. Eitan joins the Israeli military. Simone supports Israel on ‘the other battlefield:’ America’s college campuses. When they witness Israel's mistreatment of the Palestinian people with their own eyes, they are horrified and heartbroken.

They join the movement of young American Jews battling the old guard over Israel’s centrality in American Judaism, and demanding freedom for the Palestinian people. Their stories reveal a generational divide in the American Jewish community as more young Jews question the narratives their synagogues and Hebrew school teachers fed them as children.

The film also features voices like Jacqui, a Jewish educator who says “Judaism is Israel and Israel is Judaism”, and former Anti-Defamation League President Abe Foxman, who claims voices like Simone and Eitan’s represent a small minority. Thought leaders like Peter Beinart, Jeremy Ben-Ami, Noura Erakat, Cornel West, and Noam Chomsky also weigh in.

Directed by two first-time Jewish filmmakers who share a similar story to the film’s protagonists, Israelism is produced by Peabody-winner and 4-time Emmy-nominee Daniel J. Chalfen (Loudmouth, Boycott), executive produced by two-time Emmy-winner Brian A. Kates (Marvelous Ms. Maisel, Succession) and edited by Emmy-winner Tony Hale (The Story of Plastic), Israelism uniquely explores how Jewish attitudes towards Israel are changing dramatically, with massive consequences for the region and for Judaism itself.

The film premiered in competition at the 2023 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and has since gone on to screen at dozens of universities and festivals, winning awards at The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, Brooklyn Film Festival, Arizona International Film Festival, and Tallgrass Film Festival. The film has been favorably covered in The New York Times, The Guardian, Forward, Jacobin, and more.
See more at www.tikkunolamproductions.com and www.israelismfilm.com

editor :: feature documentary :: 2018
directed by Phillip Baribeau; assistant editor Will Lake Springstead

Chef Eduardo Garcia went for a hike in the beautiful backcountry of Montana. Literally shocked when he touched a dead bear with his knife, he survived the 2400V jolt and walked out alive. In the wake of losing his hand, ribs, muscle mass, and nearly his life, Eduardo embarks on an extraordinary recovery, motivated by his lifelong passion for cooking and the outdoors. At his side is former girlfriend, Jennifer Jane, who emerges as a dedicated and unlikely caregiver. A survival story like no other, Charged is a portrait of finding new life after tragedy, based in foundations of love, forgiveness, and resilience.

Charged was the opening night film at Santa Barbara International Film Festival and went on to screen at numerous festivals (including MountainFilm, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, and Port Townsend Film Festival) and has won several awards on its tour (including San Fransisco Documentary Fest, Sidewalk Film Festival, Woods Hole Film Festival, Wild and Scenic, MountainFilm in Aspen and Flagstaff, NY Wild, Enfoque, and Maui Film Festival). The film also received a "Best Editing" award from Earth Day Film Festival. Upon digital release, Charged was a feature highlight on iTunes and Amazon and later released on Hulu. See more at chargedfilm.com

editor :: feature documentary :: 2018
directed by Sarah Menzies

What lengths would you go to in order to ride a bicycle? Following a new generation of young Afghan women cyclists, Afghan Cycles uses the bicycle to tell a story of women’s rights - human rights - and the struggles faced by Afghan women on a daily basis, from discrimination to abuse, to the oppressive silencing of their voices in all aspects of contemporary society. These women ride despite cultural barriers, despite infrastructure, and despite death threats, embracing the power and freedom that comes with the sport.

Afghan Cycles follows members of the National Cycling Team in Kabul, and young riders in the Bamiyan region who are using mountain bikes to commute to school and run errands. For all of them, the bicycle is a symbol of freedom. But sometimes, the danger and obstacles can prove too much, as we learn when one of the main characters flees to France to secure a better situation and future for herself and her family.

Afghan Cycles premiered at Hot Docs 2018, followed by a festival tour that included the Seattle International Film Festival (Special Jury Mention), Brooklyn Film Festival (Best Documentary), Tasveer South Asian Film Festival (Audience Choice), Woods Hole (Director’s Award for Fortitude in Filmmaking), MountainFilm, Port Townsend, San Francisco DocFest and many more. The film went on to consumer distribution and a vibrant community screening release. See more at afghancycles.com

editor :: feature documentary
directed by Kathy Kasic

An international team of scientists explores a subglacial lake buried 3,600 feet beneath the Antarctic ice to reveal hidden truths about our planet’s dynamic past. As they struggle against the ferocity of the ice and wind, they consider how our relationship with nature – and with one another — will impact humanity’s future and the future of all life on our rapidly changing planet.

The Lake at the Bottom of the World is a sensory driven film that explores the quest to learn and the human relationship to science, the planet, and one another. The film premiered at the Imagine Science Film Festival and has gone on to play at Wild & Scenic, Woods Hole, and other festivals, recently winning the jury award at the Eastern Sierra Mountain Film Fest. The film continues its festival run, with distribution news coming soon.

editor/co-writer :: hour-long documentary :: 2023
directed by Nic Davis; co-written with Sabrina Lee; produced by 4:08 Production and Montana PBS; narrated by Bill Pullman

Acclaimed author Ivan Doig mined his hardscrabble, rural Montana childhood to create an iconic and best-selling body of literary work. His poetic portrayals of rugged landscapes and beloved characters make him one of the most celebrated writers of the American West.

The challenge of bringing the written word to screen and the joy of having an artist's immense archive at one's fingertips were all part of the fun and richness of Ivan Doig: Landscapes of a Western Mind. The film premiered at the 2023 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival before its broadcast on PBS and has since gone on to play at more festivals (Port Townsend Film Festival), schools, and cultural events.

More at www.ivandoig.org

editor / associate producer :: feature documentary :: 2013
directed by Kelly Nyks & Jared P. Scott; co-editor Mike McSweeney

The math is simple. To avoid climate catastrophe, we have to limit carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere to 350 parts per million or below. The only problem? We’re presently over 400 PPM and still climbing. Bestselling author and environmental activist Bill McKibben and 350.org, the organization he founded, hit the road to raise awareness of this terrifying math and build a movement to challenge the fossil fuel industry.

Do the Math takes us inside that tour, following McKibben as he delivers an astonishingly clear breakdown of the facts — and the stakes — to sold-out shows across the country. The film serves as a much needed correction to industry spin, and shows how an unprecedented global movement is rising up to keep CO2 emissions down. The film includes such notables as Van Jones, Naomi Klein, Dr. James Hansen, Michael Brune, and Congressman Waxman, among others on the greatest challenge the human family has ever faced.

Do the Math was broadcast on Al-Jazeera America and was centered in a grassroots screening campaign by 350.org

I’ve had the honor of joining some projects in the role of consulting editor, supervising editor, or an editor for sample scenes on projects in a fundraising stage. Some highlights include:

• consulting and additional editor for The River and the Wall (dir. director Ben Masters, 2019), which premiered at SXSW and went on to win an Emmy and be a New York Times Critic Pick

• editing an initial episode and consulting on on-going episodes for Vs. Goliath, a docu-series currently in production

• provided detailed editing and story notes for over a dozen films during rough cut stages

Additional work includes:

Freelance Editor at Production Houses: Cut 100s of videos for a variety of organizations and clients across multiple industries.

Other post-production for film: Performed a number of post-production roles for various films, such as color correction and media management.

PANELS & PRESENTATIONS

Highlights: Moderated panel at DOCNYC, on opening night panel at Santa Barbara International Film Festival, presentation on the craft of documentary editing for middle school students, Q&As at multiple screenings, presented at educational institutions such as Bronx Zoo, Dallas Zoo, and more.

EDUCATIONAL, OUTREACH & IMPACT MATERIALS FOR FILMS

Highlights: designed written educational material for films, edited ancillary video for educational and impact campaigns, and have given talks at universities and high schools on editing and documentary storytelling.

MENTORSHIP & TUTORING

Formal mentoring with Reel Works and informal mentoring with a number of early career assistant and associate editors

Upcoming films, more info coming soon…

GOLIATH IS WOBBLING (feature doc, editor/writer)

GREENLAND DEEP ICE (short doc, editor)

VS GOLIATH (doc series, contributing editor)