Archival and Associate Producer
Natalie Shmuel is a NYC-based photographer and documentary filmmaker. She specializes in non-fiction narratives that address social justice issues, having worked over the years on projects with influential filmmakers including Stanley Nelson, Laurens Grant, and June Cross. Natalie collaborated with Academy member Thomas Allen Harris on multiple projects, including his award-winning feature documentary Through A Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People – a film that explores how African American communities have used the camera as a tool for social change from the invention of photography to the present. Natalie was the Associate Producer & Archival Producer for his TV docu-series Family Pictures USA on PBS, and a Third World Newsreel feature directed by Konrad Aderer titled Resistance at Tule Lake, exposing the hidden historical archives and never-before-seen imagery of the Japanese-American experience during WWII mass incarceration in the US. Natalie’s latest project was with MSNBC on a 5-hour documentary series titled OBAMA, set to premiere in 2020.
In addition to non-fiction media, Natalie works with various indie directors on fictional narratives as creative advisor and consultant, from development through post. Natalie immersed herself in film theory and cinema history for 15+ years, and has a keen eye for film aesthetics.
With camera in hand, Natalie organizes grassroots activism coalitions and direct actions for several policy reforms. Natalie’s photo series documenting community actions have been featured in various publications, including VICE News, Buzzfeed and NY City Lens.
Natalie holds an M.A. in Cinema Studies from NYU Tisch, and a B.A. cum laude in Film Studies and Psychology from Queens College.
