Stephen A. Smith

With a background that includes three decades of polar wildlife research, the work of director and producer Stephen A. Smith is focused upon ecosystem change in the Arctic marine environment. Drawing upon insights gained through leadership of more than 60 High Arctic expedition projects, Stephen's feature documentaries have been informed and shaped by the intensity of his hands-on experiences on the frozen ocean. His film « Vanishing Point » (a National Film Board of Canada production) tells the story of diminishing sea ice through the eyes of an Inuit elder whose hunting culture is being challenged by a changing Arctic (finalist: Best Feature Documentary, 2014 Canadian Screen Awards). His International Polar Year documentary « Arctic Cliffhangers » follows some of the science and emerging findings related to ecological shifts in the Arctic Ocean environment (Best Wildlife Film, 2010 San Francisco Ocean Film Festival). Stephen's photography has been published in books and magazines including Natural History, Outside, and National Geographic.