Martin Buzora is an award-winning filmmaker working around the globe. He is a passionate and daring explorer whose work is a celebration of human cultures.
His latest documentary portrait "The Story of Pema" (2019) is the first film of its kind by a Western filmmaker to come out of Tibet, and provides an exceedingly rare glimpse into a forbidden land and its people. His documentary short "The Story of Aisholpan" (2017) is a portrait of Mongolia's now-famous young Eagle Huntress, a breathtaking tale of female empowerment and evolving tradition, set in the stunning landscapes of the Altai Mountains.
Martin's ongoing series about children from disappearing cultures is not only a love song to ancient ways of life, but also an anthropological record of indigenous people whose survival into the future is unclear.
PHOTOGRAPHY IS MY MOST SINCERE ATTEMPT AT TRYING TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO PRESERVE WHAT IS LEFT OF NATURE.
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Photo by: Sean Deakin
*Traditional Kazakh fur hat. We do not endorse the fur industry.
His documentary series "Kenya Wildlife Diaries" (2016) for Smithsonian chronicled some of the most important conservation and anti-poaching work in East Africa, and was nominated for two Canadian Screen Awards for Best Factual Series and Best Cinematography. In 2019/2020 Martin was a cinematographer on the new documentary series "Enslaved" with Samuel L. Jackson, and captured the actor's journey into Central and West Africa to discover stunning new evidence about the scale of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade while exploring his own tribal ancestry.
Martin's quest in life is to bring about positive change for our planet's imperiled species and environments, and to focus on inspiring stories of humanity's relationship to the natural world. His approach to storytelling remains the same whether it's film or photography: to explore the dramas of life, give voice to the voiceless, and illuminate the unknown.
Background Info
Awards
Exhibitions
Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC)
"The Story of Pema"
Winner - Best Documentary Short, 2020
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
"The Surrogate Mother"
Top 5 Finalist - People's Choice, 2019
Directors Guild of Canada (DGC)
"The Story of Pema"
Nominee - Best Short, 2019
Canadian Screen Awards
"Kenya Wildlife Diaries"
Nominee - Best Photography, 2017
Nominee - Best Science / Nature Documentary, 2017
Discover Film London Festival
"The Story of Pema"
Winner - Best Documentary, 2019
Best Shorts Competition
"The Story of Pema"
Winner - Documentary Short, 2019
Winner - Award of Excellence, 2019
Oregon Documentary Film Festival
"The Story of Pema"
Nominee - Best Cinematography, 2019
Nominee - Best Short Film, 2019
Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival
"The Story of Pema"
Winner - Best Cinematography Documentary, 2019
Winner - Best Documentary Short, 2019
Winner - Best Producer Short, 2019
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto
Natural History Museum, London
2019
M'lima
Everleigh, Toronto
September 12, 2017
Equipment
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PENTAX 67ii
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Nikon D4s
18-24mm 2.8
24mm 1.4
35mm 1.4
50mm 1.4
85mm 1.4
70-200mm 2.8