Tom Donahue (filmmaker)

Tom Donahue
Born	May 18, 1968 Rhinebeck, New York
Occupation	Film director, producer

Tom Donahue (born May 18, 1968) is an American film director and producer. His latest feature documentary, HBO's Casting By, was nominated for an Emmy.^[1] In 2010, Donahue founded the production company, CreativeChaos with Ilan Arboleda and Steve Edwards.

Film career

As director

Donahue co-directed an episode of the 10-part AFI series, 100 Years/100 Movies (with Linda Schaffer), which was broadcast on TNT in 1998. It was called The Antiheroes, and included interviews with Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood and Paul Schrader and was narrated by James Woods. The series was executive produced by Richard Schickel and Mel Stuart. ^[2]

In 2005, Donahue directed the narrative short, Thanksgiving (starring James Urbaniak and Seymour Cassel & written by Sean Gullette).^[3]

He made his feature documentary debut with Guest of Cindy Sherman (as co-director with Paul H-O) which premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival.^[4] The film opened theatrically in March 2009 and had its broadcast premiere on the Sundance Channel in May 2009. ^[5]

Nathan Lee wrote in The New York Times, “At once a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse, bittersweet autobiography and witty trip down art-world memory lane”.^[6] John Anderson wrote in Variety,

"If a doc manages to inform and entertain, it's ahead of the competition. If it features engaging personalities (or penguins), so much the better. And if it manages not to lose its assets while dipping its toe into murkier issues -- becoming, say, a brow-knitting thumb-sucker -- then it's really a work of art; such is "Guest of Cindy Sherman." ^[7]

Donahue directed the feature documentary, Casting By which was hailed as one of the top five documentary films of 2013 by the National Board of Review and reviewed as "outstanding" by American film critic Leonard Maltin.^[8][9][10] It premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival (where it was picked up for broadcast by HBO Documentary Films).^[11][12] It premiered domestically at the 2012 New York Film Festival.^[13] Casting By was lauded by the Casting Society of America. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced five days before Casting By’s premiere on HBO that its Board of Governors had approved the creation of a branch for casting directors. On the night of the 29th Annual Artios Awards hosted by the Casting Society of America, the Casting By filmmakers received a standing ovation for its pivotal role in spurring Academy recognition.^[14][15]

In 2014, it won the Gracie Award for Outstanding Documentary of the Year from the National Alliance for Women in Media.^[16] In July 2014, the film was nominated for the News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Arts and Culture Programming.^[1]

As producer

In 2003, Donahue produced and edited Alfredo de Villa’s debut feature, Washington Heights, winner of five Best Picture awards at festivals worldwide, the Audience Award at Los Angeles Film Festival, and Special Jury Award at the TriBeCa Film Festival. Washington Heights also received a Gotham Award nomination for the IFP Open Palm Award.^[17][18][19]

Donahue was co-producer on Ramin Bahrani’s debut feature, Man Push Cart, which premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.^[20] He produced the feature documentary, Highway Courtesans (directed by Mystelle Brabbee), which had its world premiere at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and its U.S. premiere at South by Southwest.^[21][22]

He produced the feature film Ponies, directed by Nick Sandow (Orange Is the New Black) and starring John Ventimiglia (The Sopranos) and Kevin Corrigan.^[23] It was named a New York Times Critics Pick upon its release in 2012.^[24]

As editor

Donahue’s first narrative feature as editor was Raphael Nadjari’s The Shade (starring Richard Edson). The film premiered at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section.^[25] He also edited Raphael Nadjari’s next two films, I am Josh Polonsky’s Brother and Apartment#5C (which premiered as part of the 2002 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight).^[26]

He edited the IFC Films feature documentary, Keep the River on Your Right based on the book of the same name by Tobias Schneebaum.^[27] The film won the 2001 Gotham Spirit Truer than Fiction Award & the Jury Prize at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.^[28][29]

In 2005, Donahue edited IFC’s Wanderlust, a feature doc/narrative directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini and starring Paul Rudd and Thomas McCarthy.

For television, Donahue edited several episodes of Showtime’s acclaimed live action version of Ira Glass’ This American Life (nominated for three Emmys in 2007).^[30] He edited the pilots for the reality series, Growing Up Gotti, I Pity the Fool, Heroes Among Us and The Cho Show and has edited episodes of Iconoclasts, Salt’N Pepa, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane and HBO’s Real Sex.

Filmography

Features

Year	Title	Director	Producer	Notes	Rotten Tomatoes
2003	Washington Heights		Yes		79%[31]
2006	Man Push Cart		Yes	as co-Producer	88%[32]
2006	Highway Courtesans		Yes		50%[33]
2008	Guest of Cindy Sherman	Yes		as co-Director	70%[34]
2012	Ponies		Yes		Not Yet Rated[35]
2012	Casting By	Yes	Yes	Co-Produced with Kate Lacey, Joanna Colbert, and Ilan Arboleda	92%[36]
2015	Thank You for Your Service	Yes	Yes	Co-Produced with Ilan Arboleda and Matt Tyson	Not Yet Rated

Short films

Year	Title	Director	Producer	Notes	Rotten Tomatoes
2005	Thanksgiving	Yes	Yes		Not Yet Rated

References

1. "List of Nominees for the 35th News & Documentary for Outstanding Arts and Culture Programming". The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
2. "AFI's 100 Years… 100 Movies: The Antiheroes (1998)". IMDb. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
3. "Thanksgiving". 2014 Tribeca Enterprises LLC. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
4. "Guest of Cindy Sherman". 2014 Tribeca Enterprises LLC. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
5. "Tom Donahue: Casting By Interview". Call Me Adam. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
6. "For the Love of Art". New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
7. "Review: 'Guest of Cindy Sherman'". Variety. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
8. "National Board of Review Announces 2013 Award Winners". National Board of Reviews. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
9. "'Her' Named the Best Film by National Board of Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
10. "'Her' Named the Best Film by National Board of Review". Indiewire. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
11. "Toronto 2012: HBO Picks Up Tom Donahue Doc 'Casting By,' Also Circling Liz Garbus' 'Love, Marilyn'". Indiewire. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
12. "Toronto 2012: HBO Documentary Films Takes U.S. TV Rights to 'Casting By'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
13. "NYFF DAILY, FRIDAY 10/12". Film Society Lincoln Center. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
14. "'Her' Named the Best Film by National Board of Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
15. "Casting Directors Excited by Academy's Recognition". backstage. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
16. "2014 Gracie Awards Winners". Alliance for All Women in Media. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
17. "Los Angeles Film Festival". Los Angeles Film Festival. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
18. "Tribeca Film Festival 2002 Winners". IMDb. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
19. "IFP Announces Nominees for Gothams' Open Palm and Breakthrough Actor Prizes". Indiewire. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
20. "2006 Sundance Film Festival, Man Pushes Cart". Sundance Institute. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
21. "Highway Courtesans". International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
22. "Mystelle Brabbee". IMDb. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
23. "Ponies". IMDb. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
24. "Ponies". New York Times. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
25. "The Shade". 2009 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
26. "FESTIVALS: 2002 Cannes Film Festival Directors Fortnight Lineup". Indiewire. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
27. "Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale". IFC. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
28. "Tom Donahue: TriBeCa All Access". TriBeCa Film Institute. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
29. "AWARD WINNERS AND JURIES 1988-2013". International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
30. "List of Nominations 2007". TVWeek. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
31. "Washington Heights". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
32. "Man Push Cart". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
33. "Highway Courtesans". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
34. "Guest of Cindy Sherman". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
35. "Ponies". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
36. "Casting By". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 24, 2014.