I’m Karen Shopsowitz, a documentary film-maker who realized that in spite of being on-line and on the internet since its beginnings (anyone else out there remember compuserve?), I had yet to create my own blog. So here it is: a place to update on various productions and goings-on.

Oh and by the way, I also have two other blogs: GrownUpDiabetes.com and Vegetarianmoviemaker.com . Please visit them!

Here’s my “official” bio:

I am an award winning film-maker, whose work has been screened nationally and internationally. My most recent credit is “The Other Side of the Hero”, which looks at first responders and PTSD.

Prior to that, I produced and directed “GrandParenting”, which is about grandparents who are raising their grandchildren full-time.

“One Summer at Camp Winston” is a one hour doc I made about a camp for children with complex neurological disorders, produced in association with documentary, and first airing in September 2010. “One Summer at Camp Winston” has been screened at several festivals, including the Flicks Film Festival (Saskatchewan), and the Eugene International Film Festival (where it received the award for best family feature). It was also nominated for a Golden Sheaf Award at Yorkton, and received an Honourable Mention at the Chris Awards.

Other credits include “My Father’s Camera”, (produced by the National Film Board of Canada, and winner of the prestigious Peabody Award; about the history and social context of home movies), “Canada’s War in Colour” (produced by YAP Films and aired nationally on CBC and SRC, for which I received a Gemini nomination as Series Director; this series tells the story of the Second World War using only original film footage, from archives and private collections), “A Place to Save Your Life” (about the Jewish refugee community of Shanghai, aired on Vision and CBC), and “My Grandparents Had a Hotel” (aired on CBC, and screened internationally). As a director, editor, writer and frequent cameraperson, I have worked on dozens of productions,ranging from stand-alone documentaries to documentary series for television, music videos and fiction.

I have a Bachelor of Journalism Degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, a Master’s of Fine Arts in Film and Video from York University in Toronto, and a Certificate in feature film writing from the University of California’s Writer’s Studio. I also completed the Women in the Director’s Chair program (offered by Creative Women Workshops, at the Banff Centre for the Arts). I also teach part-time in Centennial College’s Broadcasting – Radio, Television, Film, and Digital Media program.