David Weissman is a multifaceted individual with a plethora of talents, including being an Emmy Award-nominated filmmaker, teacher, film programmer, public speaker, and longtime activist. He is most notably recognized for his work as a producer on the critically acclaimed documentaries "We Were Here" (2011) and "The Cockettes" (2002).
With over three decades of residency in San Francisco, David was deeply immersed in the city's vibrant cultural and political landscape.
Both "We Were Here" and "The Cockettes" premiered at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, with "We Were Here" subsequently receiving a theatrical release and international broadcast, including a PBS broadcast on the Independent Lens series in the United States. The film was also shortlisted for the 2012 Best Documentary Academy Award.
In contrast, "The Cockettes" received a theatrical release, broadcast on the Sundance Channel and BBC, and earned the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Documentary of 2002. Both films received nominations for Independent Spirit Awards for Best Documentary of the Year.
David has also made a significant impact in the realm of education, teaching courses in "Producing Feature Documentaries" in Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle. He has taught a wide range of filmmaking courses and workshops, and has been a guest speaker and presenter at numerous universities, including USC, Stanford, Wesleyan, Yale, UC Santa Cruz, and Princeton.
Furthermore, David is the co-founder and co-director (alongside Russ Gage) of QDoc: The Portland Queer Documentary Film Festival.
