Steve York

Steve York is the Senior Producer/Director of York Zimmerman and "is a veteran documentary filmmaker who has worked in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America on subjects ranging from religious fundamentalism to American history to nonviolent conflict. His programs are regularly seen on PBS and the networks, and have been recognized with awards at major film and television festivals and competitions.

"York moved to Washington, D.C. in 1972 where he began editing and directing films for documentarians Bill Moyers and Charles Guggenheim. Since 1976, York has written, produced and directed films and television programs ranging from network series to prime-time specials, political campaign spots, advocacy and educational films.

"For his work on historical themes, he has received a Peabody Award (ABC News Special, Pearl Harbor: Two Hours That Changed the World, anchored by David Brinkley) and a Gold Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival (ABC News Turning Point at Normandy: The Soldiers' Story, with Peter Jennings). He also produced Remembering The Bomb, filmed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the fortieth anniversary of the atomic bombings.

"In 1987 Steve York was the first filmmaker invited into the marble temple of the Supreme Court to film the two-part PBS series, This Honorable Court, winner of the Silver Gavel from the American Bar Association and the Columbus International Film Festival's Chris Award. Ten years later the Court asked him to produce The Supreme Court of the United States, a 30-minute film which runs continuously in the Court's Visitors' Center.

"York has examined provocative American themes. Selling the Dream (1990 PBS) explores advertising and its influence on American society. The three-part series Gunpower (1996 Discovery Channel and Channel Four-UK) probes the uniquely American gun culture. The Emmy-nominated Vietnam Memorial (PBS Frontline) records the five days of healing surrounding the dedication of the veterans memorial in 1982.

"Middle eastern political, historical, and religious themes are among York's specialties. The Arab and The Israeli documents the anguish of an Israeli Army officer and a deported Palestinian mayor who joined together on a tour of the U.S., talking about the road to peace in their region. Remaking the World profiles Islamic fundamentalism, while Islam introduces audiences to the history, expansion, and achievements of Islam. In 1989 York photographed, wrote and edited Letter from Palestine, a first-person profile of a Palestinian medical team in the West Bank.

"In 1997 York began development on an in-depth examination of the history of nonviolent conflict. A Force More Powerful debuted as a feature-length documentary in the fall of 1999 and was expanded into a three-hour series for broadcast on national public television in the fall of 2000.

"That September, as A Force More Powerful was airing on PBS, a call came into the York Zimmerman offices from someone working in a nongovernmental organization. The caller was doing pro-democracy work in the Balkans and wanted permission to translate Force into Serbo-Croatian and broadcast it on television in the former Yugoslavia. Slobodan Milosevic was contesting the results of an election and the citizens there had come into the streets to protest. The NGO thought the series might give Serbia guidance and inspiration in nonviolent protest. It turns out the Serbians didn't need it. Days later, on October 5th hundreds of thousands of them stormed the Parliament building. Milosevic conceded defeat.

"Steve York flew to Belgrade two weeks later to begin interviewing the main players in the Serbian nonviolent revolution. The resulting one-hour film, Bringing Down A Dictator, narrated by Martin Sheen, aired on PBS in the spring of 2002. It has been honored with numerous prizes -- including the coveted George Foster Peabody award - and, like A Force More Powerful, it has been translated into some ten languages and broadcast around the world."