Nicole Newnham

Nicole Newnham, an accomplished documentary film producer, writer, and director, has an extensive portfolio of acclaimed works. She is notably recognized for her Oscar-nominated movie "Crip Camp," which she co-directed and produced with James LeBrecht. In addition to this, Newnham directed and produced "The Rape of Europa," earning multiple Emmy nominations for this work. Further showcasing her innovative approach to documentary storytelling, she produced the virtual reality works "Collisions" and "Awavena," both of which premiered simultaneously at the Sundance Film Festival and the World Economic Forum in Davos, and received Emmys for Outstanding New Approaches to Documentary in 2017 and 2020, respectively.

Newnham's film, "The Disappearance of Shere Hite," premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and was subsequently listed on the 2023 DOC NYC Awards Short List, winning a Special Mention for Editing. Her 2013 film "The Revolutionary Optimists" was another notable achievement, earning an Emmy nomination and the Sundance Hilton Sustainability Award. She also co-directed "Sentenced Home," a significant documentary about Cambodian-American men facing deportation, which earned an Emmy nomination. In 2025, it was announced that Newnham would be directing a documentary on Olivia Newton-John for Netflix.

Beyond filmmaking, Newnham has also ventured into other creative domains. She collaborated with Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Brian Lanker on "They Drew Fire," a project about WWII Combat Artists, and co-wrote the companion book published by HarperCollins. Her first documentary, "Unforgettable Face," made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in 1994. Moreover, her film "The Revolutionary Optimists" inspired her to co-create "Map Your World," an open-source data/mapping/storytelling platform, further demonstrating her commitment to leveraging technology for storytelling.