Mary Katzke
MARY R. KATZKE
1012 Potlatch Circle, Anchorage, Alaska 99503
Home: 907-250-6897 – marykatzke@gci.net
EDUCATION
1978 Bachelor of Science: Radio-Television-Film/Pro-Social Media
University of Texas – Austin, TX
1992 Master of Arts: Writing and Directing Film
New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts – New York City, NY
MFA: Magna Cum Laude
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
More than thirty years of progressive, nonprofit media creation using documentary film, photography, writing and social media to promote social change through artistic application of these disciplines; Founder of Affinityfilms, Inc. a nonprofit media production organization; Adjunct Professor at University of Alaska and Alaska Pacific University; Mentor/Intern supervisor; Fulbright Specialist Program Roster as Media Maker, twice a Rasmuson Individual Artist Fellow, studied photography at the Santa Fe Photography Institute in 2018, Wellstone Retreat Center Writing Fellowship, 2019.
WORK HISTORY
09/1982 to Current
Executive Director: Affinityfilms, Inc. a nonprofit educational media organization
Writer, Director, Producer of over 35 documentary films. Responsible for reporting to board of directors, media campaign conceptualization, fundraising, grants writing, social media, contracting and supervision of crew, support staff and interns, reporting to clients, budget reports, community outreach, creation of electronic press kits, stills photography and video production from concept through post-production, state and federal compliance reporting and certification requirements. In addition, initiated focus groups and evaluative reporting, collaborated with agencies and stakeholders, hired, trained and taught crew and project leaders, worked within the community for media appearances and guest presentations, coordinated art and graphics creation for effective marketing, and communicated between technical personnel and management, traveled nationally and internationally.
A Selection of Career Highlights:
AND NOW WE RISE: A Portrait of Samuel Johns, Athabaskan hip hop artist who started a Facebook group of homeless people in Alaska. To be aired by PBS in 2019-20.
PARTNERS IN HEALING: an introduction to integrative medicine with dedicated website to encourage cancer patients to embrace healing on personal level. www.pihfilm.com
IN A NANOSECOND– a statewide multi-media campaign using short films, webeos, stills photography and social media to raise awareness of the brain injury and survivors. www.alaskabraininjury.net
BACKING OUT OF TIME: the story of family caregivers who are caring for parents facing Alzheimer’s and Dementia-Related Disease, currently being used statewide in Alzheimer’s caregiving training, via ARC programs, CLE programs. www.backingoutoftime.org
THE ARC OF ANCHORAGE: Ten intimate documentaries over ten years, profiling specific challenges facing families of children with disabilities. Most current film: https://vimeo.com/128399976 (PW is SFTH) as well as 36 portraits of adults with disabilities permanently housed on walls of Arc of Anchorage main office.
ABOUT FACE: The Story of Gwendellin Bradshaw: A documentary and classroom discussion guide about mental illness, post-partum psychosis, and lifelong impacts as told through one woman’s story, in use with mental health training and university courses throughout the U.S. www.aboutfacefilm.org
DAY IN OUR BAY: Created crowd-sourced complete media campaign with Bristol Bay Native Corporation to involve youth and adults in documenting their lives to raise global awareness the subsistence lifestyle; used contest format, created theme, print and social media venues; involved over 100 stakeholders- presented at NatGeo, Smithsonian, and in front of congress in Wash, D.C. www.dayinourbay.org
BETWEEN US PROJECT: Traveling Photography exhibit featuring survivors now permanently housed at MatSu Regional Hospital, created packaging around complete films based on theme of survivor mentorship which included DVDs with comfort items, distributed for 10 years to over 5,000 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.
BABIES ON TRACK: DVD and double storybook package aimed at new parents and their infants through toddler-aged children to prepare them for literacy-readiness, distributed via State of Alaska Public Library System to over 7,500 families. Photography used in social media.
http://www.bestbeginningsalaska.org/what-we-do/babies-on-track-video-books
WORLD SCHOOL: When the Earth is Your Apple
Personal story of taking my ten year old son around the world- documentary film, photography exhibit, and student discussion guide for use in Emotional Social Learning Curriculum www.worldschoolfilm.org
Awards and Honors:
Wellstone Retreat Center Writing Fellowship, 2019 for work on novel.
YWCA Women of Achievement Award: 2018
Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Fellowship in Media: 2004 and 2018
(2018 Multi-media Fellowship for #reset4change (reset4change.com)
Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation- Writing Award, 2017 for “Til I Melt” the story
of Annie Alowa of Savoonga who took on the US military for restitution for the
toxic wastes left on the hunting grounds now responsible for high cancer rates in
her village
Recipient of VisionMakers Media Grant- 2017 for documentary on Samuel Johns,
Athabaskan hip hop artist and founder of the Forget Me Not Facebook group for
homeless in Alaska
Published Short Story, Drunk on Daylight, Anchorage Remembers, 2016
Athena Inductee- 2005
Key Note speaker at numerous functions on such topics
as “How to Use Media for Social Change” and “My Purpose as a Survivor” “Message and Medium”
Winner of screenwriting competitions (Tokuma, McKnight Foundation)
Guest of Sundance Film Festival (Sea of Oil documentary about oil spill in Alaska)
Recipient of American Film Institute Award (documentary on domestic violence)
A&E Indie Film Grant; (completion grant for About Face documentary about mental illness)
Rotary Volunteer for Central Middle School Lunch Series- Introduction to Filmmaking for middle school students;
Specialized Training: Certified in Assisting Individuals in Crisis/ISISF (trained to serve food in emergencies from mobile unit), First Aid certification
Websites featuring works:
CREDITS
Casting for International Heineken Commercial series (Casting Services) 11/16 - 05/17
Cast for five Native Alaskans who were ok with being in an alcohol commercial and able to travel internationally for two weeks (no easy feat). Managed passports and visas and brought them all back for a second season. All were leads and had residuals.
History Channel- Donner Party (Casting Services) 10/15 - 12/15
Had to find enough skinny people to look starving, willing to stand around in the snow for hours, for very little pay. Went to Laundromat in Butte and cast former drug users who were happy to have to pay and did perform as expected.
Princess Cruises- Happy Middle-aged Couple (Casting Services) 08/17 - 08/17
Had to find 12 couples for the company to choose from who were "nebulous mixed race" and looked upper class and were available to travel for a week with only ten days notice.
Casting- US Census (Casting Services) 10/19 - 11/19
I was assigned casting for an Alaska Native woman, as well as setting up all locations.
Producer- Local (Casting Services) 08/17
Found locations, obtained permitting, meals, housing, vehicles, local hires, props and everything they needed for their four DPs.
BBC shoot on St. Lawrence Island (Fixer) 03/19 - 06/19
I was tasked with preceding the film crew for native approval, housing, local hires, local rentals, shipping and food needs for the crew. I also made Alaskan hire referrals for camp manager and equipment sourcing.
Alaskan Mysteries (Fixer) 04/19 - 06/19
Source locations, props, local hires, permitting processes, lodging recommendations, etc.
Dream Houses (Fixer) 08/12 - 08/12
Scout dream houses, work with owners for permissions, create shooting schedule, negotiate local location fees, meet and accompany crew on shoot, find translator
Producer/Local for network (Producer) 08/12 - 09/12
Hired local DP, found location, wrangled talent for interview, directed on set to match their preferred lighting and interview format, did the interviews, uploaded footage, time sheets, wrapped the locals.
Producer/Local alongside incoming producer (Producer) 08/17 - 09/17
Find local crew, scout locations, get permits, cook when necessary to support four incoming producer/DPs
From development through post-production (Producer) 09/82 - Present
I have produced, directed and written over 40 films set in Alaska.
