Orlando von Einsiedel

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Orlando von Einsiedel
Orlando von Einsiedel, 74th Peabody Award.jpg
BornAugust 1980
London, England
NationalityBritish
Education University of Manchester
London School of Economics
Occupation(s)Film director, producer
Years active2010–present
Notable workVirunga, The White Helmets, Evelyn, Learning To Skateboard In A Warzone (if you're a girl),The Lost Children
Website Grain Media

Orlando von Einsiedel [1] (born in August 1980) [2] is a British film director and producer, and co-founder of film production company Grain Media.He directs mostly documentary films that investigate global social issues, and has filmed in various places around the world, including Africa, Asia, America and the Arctic.

Contents

He has been nominated for two Academy Awards, winning one, a BAFTA, several Primetime and News and Documentary Emmys, and has won a Peabody, an Alfred I.duPont–Columbia University Award [3] for journalistic excellence and a British Independent Film Award. [2]

Von Einsiedel became known for his award winning film Virunga, [4] produced with the cooperation of Virunga National Park director Prince de Merode. The film has been credited with helping to end oil exploration within the park. [5]

Von Einsiedel’s other most well-known films are The White Helmets, Evelyn, Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you’re a girl), Los Niños Perdidos / The Lost Children and Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy.

Early life

Von Einsiedel is the grandson of Wittgo von Einsiedel (a second cousin to Heinrich Graf von Einsiedel, who descends from Otto von Bismarck) and Walburga von Obersdorff. [1] His father, Andreas Jean-Paul von Einsiedel, was a photographer specialising in architecture and interiors. [6] Von Einsiedel grew up in Forest Hill, London, with his mother (Harriet), a British music therapist. He attended Alleyn's, an independent school in East Dulwich, London. [7]

University

Von Einsiedel studied social anthropology at the University of Manchester [5] and an MSc in anthropology and development at the London School of Economics. [8]

Film career

Von Einsiedel began his filmmaking career making snowboard films [9] before moving into documentaries. Many of von Einsiedel's documentaries have been screened at the worlds top film festivals including the Sundance Film Festival, the Telluride Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.

Von Einsiedel directed Virunga (2014) [10] , which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature, and The White Helmets (2016), which won for Best Documentary (Short Subject). Both nominations were shared with producer Joanna Natasegara. [11] [4] [12] [13] His 2018 film, Evelyn , about his late brother, launched at the London Film Festival [14] and won the BIFA for Best Documentary. [3] In 2020, Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you're a girl) , a film he was an executive producer on, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject). [15] In 2006,In 2024 he released Los Niños Perdidos / The Lost Children. [16] The film was nominated for a Premios Platino Award [17] and was one of the most watched documentaries on Netflix in 2024. [18]

In 2006, he co-founded Grain Media, an award-winning film production company based in London which he runs. [19]

Snowboard career

Von Einsiedel spent several years as a professional snowboarder, [20] [7] [21] travelling the world promoting the brand names of various sponsors through media engagements, photo/video shoots and competitions. During this period, he was given the nickname 'Jill Dando', due to the rhyme connection between his name and hers. [7]

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorProducerNotes
2010 Skateistan: To Live and Skate Kabul YesYes Documentary Short
2012Aisha's SongYesYesDocumentary Short
2012Radio AminaYesYesDocumentary Short
2012Pirate FishingYesNoTV Series
2013 We Ride: The Story of Snowboarding YesNo
2013The Cure: Doctors on Everest - Investigating Intensive CareYesNoTV Series
2013EarthriseTV Series
2014 Virunga YesYes
2014We Are FireYesNoDocumentary Short
2015King of the MountainYesNoDocumentary Short
2015 SuperBob NoYesExecutive Producer
2016 The White Helmets YesNoDocumentary Short
2018 Evelyn YesNo
2018Bruce Lee And The OutlawNoYesExecutive Producer
2019 Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) NoYesExecutive Producer
2019Lost and FoundYesNoDocumentary Short
2019Into The FireYesNoDocumentary Short
2019The SeahorseNoYesExecutive Producer
2020Still HumanYesNoDocumentary Short
2020The Lost ForestYesNoDocumentary Short
2021 Convergence YesYes
2021Death in BollywoodNoYesExecutive Producer
2021 The Phantom NoYesExecutive Producer
2021Into DustYesNoShort Film
2022From Devil's BreathYesNoDocumentary Short
2022Bastille: Hope For The FutureYesNoMusic Video
2023Scout's Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of AmericaNoYesExecutive Producer
2023The WalkNoYes
2023 Heart of Invictus YesNoDocumentary Series
2024The Lost ChildrenYesNo
2024 Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy NoYesExecutive Producer

Awards and Recognition

YearAwardWorkResult
2011Sundance Film Festival Short Filmmaking Award – International [22] [23] Skateistan: To Live and Skate Kabul Nominated
2012SXSW Grand Jury Award Documentary Short [24] Aisha’s SongNominated
2013Royal Television Society Journalism Awards - International Current Affairs [25] Pirate FishingNominated
2014Academy Award Best Documentary Feature [26] Virunga Nominated
Peabody Award [27] Won
Cinema Eye Honors Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography [28] Won
BAFTA Film Award Best Documentary Feature [29] Nominated
Grierson Awards Best Cinema Documentary [30] Won
Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University AwardWon
Television Academy HonorsWon
Hamptons International Film Festival Victor Rabinowitz and Joanne Grant Award for Social Justice [31] Won
Hamptons International Film Festival Zelda Penzel Giving Voice to the Voiceless Award [32] Won
Hot Docs Emerging International Filmmaker Award [33] Won
Cinema For Peace Green Award [34] Won
Camden International Film Festival Harrell Award [35] Won
Primetime Emmys Outstanding Documentary or Non-fiction Special [36] Nominated
Directors Guild of America Awards nominee Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary [37] Nominated
Producers Guild of America Awards Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion [38] Nominated
Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature [39] Nominated
Doc Impact Award [40] Won
2016One Show Bronze Pencil Award [41] We Are FireWon
2017Academy Award Best Documentary Short Subject [42] The White Helmets Won
International Documentary Association Award Best Short Documentary [43] Won
Primetime Emmys Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking [44] Nominated
Cinema for Peace Most Valuable Documentary of the Year Award [45] Won
Hamptons International Film Festival Audience Award [46] Won
Muslim Public Affairs Council Voice of Courage and Conscious Award [47] Won
Toronto International Film Festival Short Cuts Honorable Mention [48] Won
2018British Independent Film Award (BIFA) for Best Documentary [49] Evelyn Won
2018London Film Festival Grierson Award [50] Nominated
2018Scottish Mental Health International Film Awards - Anti-Stigma Award [51] Won
2020News and Documentary Emmys Outstanding Short Documentary [52] Lost And FoundNominated
AFI Fest Grand Jury Prize [53] Nominated
Virginia Film Festival Audience Award [54] Won
AFI Fest Audience Award [55] Won
News and Documentary Emmys nominee Outstanding Short Documentary [56] Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you’re a girl) Nominated
International Documentary Association Award for Best Short Documentary [57] Won
2020Critics Choice Awards Best Short DocumentaryInto The FireNominated
2021News and Documentary Emmys Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary [58] Convergence: Courage in a Crisis Nominated
2024News and Documentary Emmys Outstanding Investigative Documentary [59] Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boys Scouts of America  Nominated
2025Premios Platino Awards for Ibero-America Cinema Best Documentary [60] Los Niños Perdidos / The Lost Children Nominated
India Catalina Award Best Documentary [61] Won
2025News and Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary [62] Buy Now! The Shopping ConspiracyWon

References

  1. 1 2 People of Today 2017 / Lucy Hume
  2. 1 2 "Tirunga". DOCS Barcelona. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Evelyn · BIFA · British Independent Film Awards". 31 October 2018.
  4. 1 2 Kinosian, Janet (5 February 2015). "'Virunga' details a complicated story of oil exploration in Congo". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Orlando Von Einsiedel - School of Social Sciences - The University of Manchester". www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk.
  6. ↑ Website featuring von Einsiedel's father's photography
  7. 1 2 3 "The gorillas, Leo and me: Orlando von Einsiedel interview". 6 February 2015.
  8. ↑ "Collect Your Alumni Campus Card".
  9. ↑ "Meet former pro snowboarder and award-winning director Orlando von Einsiedel". Red Bull. 2018-03-15. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  10. ↑ Einsiedel, Orlando von (2014-11-07), Virunga (Documentary, War), André Bauma, Emmanuel de Merode, Mélanie Gouby, Appian Way, Grain Media, Violet Films, retrieved 2025-08-05
  11. ↑ Ritman, Alex (5 December 2014). "'Virunga' Director Talks Oscar Buzz, Leonardo DiCaprio and Aggressive Lawyers". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  12. ↑ "Oscar Nominations 2017: See the Full List". Vanity Fair . 24 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  13. ↑ Katz, Andrew (7 September 2016). "Exclusive: Watch the Trailer for 'The White Helmets'". Time . Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  14. ↑ "BFI London Film Festival - 6 to 17 October 2021". Archived from the original on October 30, 2018.
  15. ↑ "British Council Film: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)".
  16. ↑ "El documental Los niños perdidos llega a Netflix este 14 de noviembre". About Netflix (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  17. ↑ González, María Paula (2025-03-14). "Los niños perdidos, de Caracol Televisión, nominado a los Premios Platino". Noticias Caracol (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  18. ↑ "What We Watched the Second Half of 2024". About Netflix. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  19. ↑ "About us". Grain Media . Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  20. ↑ Grain Media (29 May 2009). "Orlando von Einsiedel Pro Snowboarder Interview" – via YouTube.
  21. ↑ "Ex-Pro Snowboarder Wins Oscar For Best Documentary - Boardsport SOURCE". 27 February 2017.
  22. ↑ "Franklin Dow". cargocollective.com. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  23. ↑ Skateistan: To Live and Skate Kabul (Short 2011) - Awards - IMDb . Retrieved 2025-08-07– via www.imdb.com.
  24. ↑ Aisha's Song (Short 2012) - Awards - IMDb . Retrieved 2025-08-07– via www.imdb.com.
  25. ↑ "RTS Announces Winners For Television Journalism Awards 2013". Royal Television Society. 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  26. ↑ "Oscars 2015: Full list of nominations | EW.com". EW.com. Archived from [http:/insidemovies.ew.com/2015/01/15/oscars-2015-nominations/ the original] on 2015-01-15. Retrieved 2025-08-07.{{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
  27. ↑ "Virunga". The Peabody Awards. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  28. ↑ Lacey, Dan (2015-01-08). "2015 Cinema Eye Honors Announces Winners". Cinema Eye Honors. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  29. ↑ "68th British Academy Film Awards", Wikipedia, 2025-05-16, retrieved 2025-08-07
  30. ↑ Acevedo, Violet. "'Virunga' wins at Grierson Awards". Screen. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  31. ↑ https://hamptonsfilmfest.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/2014WINNERSHIFFFINAL.pdf.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  32. ↑ McCracken, Kristin (2015-08-10). "New HIFF Signature Program Focuses on Animal Rights". Hamptons International Film Festival. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  33. ↑ "Virunga". docudays.ua. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  34. ↑ "VIRUNGA". Violet Films. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  35. ↑ Flynn, Sean (2014-09-30). "2014 Camden International Film Festival and Points North Winners! - Points North Institute" . Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  36. ↑ Cinematographer, British (2016-01-14). "Franklin Dow wins an Emmy for Virunga". British Cinematographer. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  37. ↑ "DGA Announces Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and Documentary for 2014". www.dga.org. 2015-01-14. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  38. ↑ "AwardsWatch - Producers Guild Announces Nominees for Documentary Feature, TV Series/Specials and Digital Series". AwardsWatch. 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  39. ↑ "30th FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED". Film Independent. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  40. ↑ "Doc Impact Hi5". Doc Impact Hi5. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  41. ↑ "The One Show - Archive of Winners | The One ClubOne Show | Awards Archive | 2015 | Branded Entertainment | Bronze Pencil". www.oneclub.org. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  42. ↑ "10 DOC SHORTS ON OSCAR'S 2016 SHORTLIST | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". www.oscars.org. 2016-11-23. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  43. ↑ "IDA Documentary Awards 2016 | International Documentary Association". www.documentary.org. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  44. ↑ "Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking 2017 - Nominees & Winners". Television Academy. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  45. ↑ "Nominations 2017". Cinema for Peace Foundation. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  46. ↑ "La la land, I am not your Negro and The White Helmets take audience awards at the 24th annual Hamptons international film festival" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-07-01.
  47. ↑ MPAC (2017-08-18). "Highlights from the 2017 MPAC Media Awards". Muslim Public Affairs Council. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  48. ↑ "British Council UK Films Database: The White Helmets". filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  49. ↑ "Evelyn · BIFA · British Independent Film Awards". BIFA · British Independent Film Awards. 2018-10-31. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  50. ↑ "62nd BFI London Film Festival programme announced". BFI. 2018-08-30. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  51. ↑ pookaadmin (2019-04-29). "Orlando von Einsiedel: 'There's this amazing contagiousness to being emotionally open and vulnerable'". Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  52. ↑ achievements, Nobel Prize Outreach Nobel Prize Outreach spreads knowledge about Nobel Prize-awarded; Science, Stimulates Interest in; literature; vision, peace in line with Alfred Nobel’s; Prize, legacy Nobel Prize Outreach reaches a global audience of millions through its high-quality productions: The official digital channels of the Nobel; Concert, the Nobel Prize; Intercontinental, As Well as a Series of; Laureates, inspirational lecture events featuring Nobel. "Documentary film spotlights Nobel Prize-awarded organisation". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  53. ↑ "Orlando von Einsiedel - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  54. ↑ "Award Winners". Virginia Film Festival. 2018-05-09. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  55. ↑ Champtal, Crystal (2025-08-01). "AFI FEST 2019 Announces Audience and Jury Awards, 2020 Dates". American Film Institute. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  56. ↑ "Nominees announced for the 41st annual news & documentary Emmy® awards" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-08-06.
  57. ↑ "'Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you're a girl)': Growing Up Female in Afghanistan | International Documentary Association". www.documentary.org. 2020-02-01. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  58. ↑ "Nominees announced for the 43rd annual news & documentary Emmy® awards" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-07-28.
  59. ↑ "Nominees announced for the 45th annual news & documentary Emmy® awards" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-11-30.
  60. ↑ González, María Paula (2025-03-14). "Los niños perdidos, de Caracol Televisión, nominado a los Premios Platino". Noticias Caracol (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  61. ↑ https://colombiaone.com/2025/04/07/colombia-india-catalina-film-awards-2025/?
  62. ↑ https://deadline.com/2025/06/news-documentary-emmys-2025-winners-list-1236441515/
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