Michael O. Snyder

Through his production company, Interdependent Pictures, Michael O. Snyder has directed films in the Arctic, the Amazon, the Himalaya, and East Africa. His journalism work has been featured by outlets such as National Geographic, The Guardian, The Washington Post, VOX, BBC, PBS News Hour, Roads & Kingdoms, High Country News, Condé Nast, Orion, and NPR. His films have been selected to over 50 festivals and have taken home numerous awards. He is a Climate Journalism Fellow at the Bertha Foundation, a Portrait of Humanity Award winner, a Decade of Change Award Winner, a Blue Earth Alliance Photographer, a Society of Environmental Journalists Member, a National Geographic Contributor, and a Resident Artist at the McGuffey Art Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. He holds an MSc in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and a BSc from Dickinson College. Snyder grew up on 12 acres of woods in Appalachia and spent much of his early adulthood exploring the remote corners of this planet. These experiences set in motion an ongoing love affair with the wildness of this world and desire to re-connect people to it. Snyder’s projects are often built through collaborations with nonprofit organizations and harness the power of media ecosystems and positive storytelling in order to shift the narrative about what it means to live well on this planet without destroying it. An adventurer at heart, Michael has hiked the Appalachian and John Muir Trails, cycled across Europe, and ridden trains through Siberia. Originally from a small town in Appalachia, Snyder has lived around the world including long-term stints in Scotland, Japan, Hawaii, and New Zealand. He currently resides in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with his wife and two children.

Awards for Into the Dark:

· Decade of Change Award, Winner, British Journal of Photography (2021) with galleried shows in New York City and Hong Kong.

· Feature articles in National Geographic, Nature, BBC, Scientific American, and other outlets

· World Premiere: Tromsø International Film Festival, 2020

· North American Premiere: DC Environmental Film Festival, 2020

· Winner - Best Editing, Columbia Film Festival, 2020

· Winner - Best Cinematography, Columbia Film Festival, 2020

· Winner - Best Documentary, Honorable Mention, ARFF International Film Festival, 2020

· Nominated - Best Short Film, Innsbruck Film Festival, 2020

· Nominated - Best Short Documentary, Arctic Film Festival, 2020

· Nominated - Best Short Documentary, Oslo Short Film Festival, 2020

Awards to Michael O. Snyder:

· Portrait of Humanity Award, Winner, Magnum Photos & British Journal of Photography (largest annual award) (2020)

· The Wellcome Prize for Photography, Shortlist (2021)

· The Lucie Foundation, The Guardian Project Award, Finalist (2021)

· LensCulture Portraiture Awards, Editor's Pick (2021, 2019)

· International Color Awards, Nominee (2020)

· PX3, Prix De La Photographie, Honorable Mention (2020)

· Moscow International Foto Awards, Honorable Mention (2020)

· Julia Margaret Cameron Award, Honorable Mention (2020)

· Winner - Best Environmental Film, Canada International Film Fest

· Winner - Best Environmental Film, World's Independent Film Fest

· Winner - Best Environmental Film (Sir Edmund Hillary Award), Mountain Film Festival

· Winner - Best Documentary Feature, Blackbird Film Festival

· Winner - Audience Choice Award, G2 Green Earth Film Festival

· Winner - Audience Choice Award, Wild and Green Shorts

· Winner - Third Place Overall, Adventure Shorts Film Festival

· Winner - Best Environmental Film, Colorado International Film Fest

· Winner - Best Documentary, Love Your Shorts Film Festival

· Winner - Best Documentary, Queen City Film Festival

· Winner - Audience Impact Award, Docs Without Borders Film Fest

· Winner - Best Soundtrack - The Africa Film Festival

· Climate Challenge Fellow Grantee, The Bertha Foundation

· Blue Earth Alliance Photographer

· Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, The University of Edinburgh

· National Geographic Young Explorer Grant - Collaborator

· National Science Foundation Research Grant - Collaborator

· Washington, D.C., Our City Festival, Artist Grant Recipient

· Maryland Humanities Council, Major Grant Recipient

· Allegany Arts Council, Placemaking Grant Recipient

· Virginia Humanities Council, Grant Recipient

· Scottish Green Awards, Best Green PR Campaign, Runner- Up