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Anne Makepeace received her BA with Honors in English and her MA in education from Stanford University. She taught English for several years before returning to Stanford for her MA in film, awarded in 1982. Since then, she has written, produced and directed many award winning films (see MakepeaceProductions.com). In 2008-2009, she received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies in support of her work. She has also been honored with many wonderful residencies, including four stints at MacDowell, three at Blue Mountain and one at Bellagio.
Late in 2019, Makepeace left the film world to write fiction. She spent 2020 adapting an unproduced screenplay into a novel. In 2021, inspired by a workshop called “Memory Into Fiction,” she began writing stories for a linked collection, tentatively called Coming to Light, which is also the title story in the collection.
During the last few years, Makepeace took many writing workshops through the Center for Fiction to hone her craft. She also worked on her stories for Coming to Light at Skidmore’s Summer Writers Institute in 2022 with Mary Gaitskill, 2024 with Liz Benedic, and 2025 with Susan Minott; at Joyce Maynard’s “Write By The Lake” workshop in Guatemala; and at the Juniper Summer Writing Institute with Pemi Aguda in 2024. She hopes to publish Coming to Light during the next year or two. Meanwhile is submitting stories to various contests, journals, and literary magazines for publication. |
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Writer/Director/
Producer
2018 |
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TRIBAL JUSTICE,
aired on the National PBS documentary series POV. The film was funded by the MacArthur Foundation, the NEH, CPB, Vision Maker Media, California Humanities, and private foundations. Winner, Best Documentary Feature, American Indian Film Festival; Best Documentary and Social Justice Award, Charlotte Film Festival, Grand Prix Rigoberta Menchú at the Montreal First People’s Festival, Directing Award at Cinetopia et al.
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Writer/Director/
Producer
2011 |
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WE STILL LIVE HERE - Âs Nutayuneân,
aired on PBS/Independent Lens and received funding from the Sundance Documentary Fund, ITVS et al. Distributed to the educational market by Bullfrog Films. Many festival awards, including the Full Frame Inspiration Award and Telluride MountainFilm’s Moving Mountains Award. |
Writer/Director
2010 |
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I. M. PEI, BUILDING CHINA MODERN,
feature documentary about a premier architect of the 20th Century, completed 2010, broadcast on PBS/American Masters in 2010, distributed by Bullfrog Films. |
Writer/Director
Producer
2006
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RAIN IN A DRY LAND,
feature documentary about Somali Bantu refugees. Emmy nomination, lead show on PBS/POV 2007. Funded by the Ford Foundation, the National Science Foundation, Sundance, ITVS, et al. CINE Golden Eagle and many festival awards, including the Full Frame Working Films Award for the film most likely to effect social change. |
Writer/Director
2005 |
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ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, CLOSE TO HOME,
for the National
Park Service at Hyde Park. Plays three times an hour at Val Kill. |
Writer/Director
Producer
2003
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ROBERT CAPA IN LOVE AND WAR,
American Masters feature documentary about the legendary war photographer. Sundance premiere January 2003, Lincoln Center March 2003. PBS May 2003. National Prime Time Emmy Award, 2003. Voice for Humanity Award, Telluride MountainFilm, 2003.
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Writer/Director
Producer
2000 |
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COMING TO LIGHT, Edward S. Curtis and The North America Indians, Sundance 2000 premiere. Theatrical release through 7th Art Releasing. Academy Award shortlist for best feature documentary 2001. Numerous awards (see next page). Funded by the NEH, the NEA, WNET/ American Masters, and CPB. PBS broadcast April 2001. |
Writer/Director
Producer
1998 |
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BABY, IT'S YOU,
personal documentary about the filmmaker’s quest for a child. Screened at the 2000 Whitney Biennial. National PBS broadcast 1998 as the lead show on POV. Sundance Documentary Competition premiere; broadcast on Channel 4, U.K. |
Screenwriter
1995 |
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ISHI THE LAST YAHI,
feature documentary narrated by Linda Hunt. Best American Independent Film, Munich Film Festival; Emmy nomination, many awards (see next page) PBS broadcast 1995-1996. |
Screenwriter
1991 |
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THOUSAND PIECES OF GOLD,
American Playhouse Theatrical Feature, released in theaters 1991, PBS broadcast 1992-97, highest American Playhouse's ratings. Many awards and festivals. |
Writer/Director
Producer
1984 |
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MOONCHILD,
docudrama about the Moonies. Aired on HBO,
Bravo, PBS, Channel 4 London, ZDF Germany, ABC Australia,
Danish and Swedish TV. Many awards and festival screenings. |
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EDUCATION |
| Stanford University |
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BA with Honors in English 1969
MA Education 1971
MA Film Production 1982 |
| AFI |
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Directing Workshop for Women 1991 |
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FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS |
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John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship 2008-9 (We Still Live Here)
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study Fellowship, 2008-9 (We Still Live Here)
National Prime Time Emmy Award (Robert Capa in Love and War)
Best Feature Documentary, American Indian Film Festival (Ishi) and (Tribal Justice)
Best Feature Documentary, Charlotte Film Festival (Tribal Justice)
Rigoberta Menchu Grand Prix at the Montreal First People’s Film Festival (Tribal Justice)
Directing Award, Cinetopia Film Festival (Tribal Justice)
Audience Award, Hells Half Mile Film Festival (Tribal Justice)
7 CINE Golden Eagles (Coming to Light, Baby It’s You, Ishi, Night Driving, Moonchild, Capa, Pei)
2000 Whitney Biennial (Baby It’s You)
Full Frame Inspiration Award 2011 (We Still Live Here)
Telluride MountainFilm Moving Mountains Award (We Still Live Here)
Jury Award, Wild and Scenic Film Festival (We Still Live Here)
Finalist, 2001 Academy Awards (Coming to Light) (one of 12 on short list)
Full Frame Film Festival’s Working Films Award (Rain in a Dry Land)
American Historical Association O’Connor Film Prize (Coming to Light)
Sundance Feature Documentary Competition (Baby It’s You, Coming to Light, Capa)
Two Gold Awards, Houston Film Festival (Coming to Light, Night Driving)
Two Gold Hugos, Chicago International Film Festival (Moonchild, Ishi)
Gold Hugo, Chicago International Television Festival (Coming to Light)
Gold Plaque, Chicago International Television Festival (Baby It’s You)
Three Gold Awards, Cindy Competition (Coming to Light, Baby It’s You, Moonchild)
Two Wrangler Awards, National Cowboy Hall of Fame (Thousand Pieces of Gold, Ishi)
Winner, SXSW Documentary Competition, 1998 (Baby It’s You)
Best Documentary, Telluride MountainFilm Festival (Coming to Light)
Best American Independent Film, Munich Film Festival (Ishi)
Paramount Award for Best Feature, National Educational Film Festival (Moonchild)
Anne Makepeace’s films have been screened at festivals from Sundance to Moscow, and have been broadcast on PBS, Showtime, Bravo, HBO, USA Network, Channel 4 (UK), ABC Australia, ZDF Germany, and Thames Television (UK) and screened at the Whitney Biennial, the Smithsonian, the Musée de l’Homme, the Museum of the American Indian, as well as many other museums, schools, colleges, and movie theaters around the country. Her work has been funded by the Pulitzer Foundation, the Sundance Documentary Fund, the NEA, the NEH, et al. She has twice been a fellow at the Sundance Institute, has premiered three films at the Sundance Film Festival, and served on the Sundance 2001 documentary jury. She has also been a resident of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio center, the MacDowell Colony, and Blue Mountain Center, and has been honored with fellowships from the Radcliffe Institute and the Guggenheim Foundation. |
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OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE |
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Producer, OurMotherTongues.org, an interactive website about language endangerment and revitalization funded by ITVS and the NEA, launched in conjunction with the national PBS broadcast of We Still Live Here on Independent Lens in November 2011.
Author, Edward Curtis, Coming to Light, published by National Geographic 2001.
Writer/Director, Chanticleer Films' Discovery Program (Night Driving) 1992-1993. |
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Memberships: DGA, WGA, IDA, IFP, FAF, AFI |
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