Main Street Moxie
Main Street Moxie was born out of our love of the spoken word and constantly being inspired by people, businesses, and organizations that are mavericks in their own way. Our guests took a leap, all because they believed in themselves, and as a result, made something out of nothing. They had a vision and the necessary belief, and paved a new way – they had MOXIE! You can learn from these moxie stories. We're all capable of moxie in our lives and through our conversations with guests, you'll learn how to move your own moxie along the moxie meter.
Main Street Moxie
Episode 23: Anne Makepeace
A life of making documentary films takes moxie, and Anne is proof of that. She has sought out people with moxie who do what they can to make lives better for themselves, their families, and their communities. Her films put real faces to issues such as social justice and marginalization, human rights, and the intersections of cultures. Native American history and contemporary life have also fascinated Anne.
In this episode, Anne explores the quest for a good story but knows the story can take an arc she didn’t expect, and she needs to bend with it. She is also profoundly grateful to her subjects. Allowing her and her lens into their lives is an honor she does not take for granted.
Anne immerses herself in every aspect of her award-winning documentaries–from conceiving ideas, finding collaborators and funders, building trust with her subjects, filming, writing, editing, and distributing the finished product. For over three decades, she has shown grit and determination in the lengthy and tenuous process of bringing an idea to life on screen.
She has received fellowships supporting her work from the Guggenheim Foundation and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and residencies at MacDowell, the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center, and the Blue Mountain Center.
Anne’s films have been broadcast nationally on PBS, HBO, and Showtime and internationally on the BBC, Channel 4 (UK), ZDF in Germany, Arte France, and Australian, Norwegian, Dutch, and Swedish public television; they have screened at Sundance, the Whitney Biennial, and festivals worldwide, winning many awards, including a national primetime Emmy. Most of her films have a strong presence in the educational market and are available for streaming on her website, MakepeaceProductions.com.
Her most recent feature documentary, Tribal Justice, aired nationally on POV/PBS and screened at more than 30 festivals. It won Best Documentary Feature at the American Indian Film Festival and the Charlotte Film Festival, the Rigoberta Menchu Grand Prix at the Montreal First People’s Film Festival, and the Directing Award at Cinetopia.
Anne’s documentary We Still Live Here was broadcast on Independent Lens/PBS and won the Moving Mountains Award at Telluride MountainFilm and the Inspiration Award at Full Frame.
She has also written many screenplays, including the feature film Thousand Pieces of Gold.
Anne Makepeace Filmography contains a complete list of Anne’s films. For more information about Anne, visit her episode show notes on the Main Street Moxie website.
This episode is proudly sponsored by Hammertown and Thorunn Designs.
