Sam Forsyth Biog

Sam is married to Bunny (who has a grown-up job) and has three daughters.

“Elephants drinking in Meru National Park ” c.Sam Forsyth 1992

Executive Summary

Raised by elephants, trained as a zoologist, worked for BBC NHU, freelance, won some stuff, became disillusioned, became a dad, dropped out, set up social enterprise film company, made useful films, very happy.

Longer Version

Sam read Zoology at Bristol Uni, of which the best bit was leading a photographic scientific expedition to work with the Kenya Wildlife Service studying elephants.

Sam started his film career as a field assistant for BBC "Walk on the Wild Side". This was followed by a stint as co-ordinator for the London International Environmental Film Festival. He then had two years as a researcher at the BBC Natural History Unit. Over the two years, he gained experience in filming people and wildlife both in the UK and in Africa. Amongst other films, he researched "A Nose through Nature with Vic and Bob" which won a Golden Panda award at the "Wildlife Oscars" the Wild-Screen Festival in Bristol, chased more elephants around a cloud forest on an extinct volcano and filmed a tribal circumcision ceremony in a Kenyan swamp.

Sam left the BBC to work freelance, initially as researcher and writer of "Ultimate Guide to Elephants" for Discovery Channel. This film won a number of awards for its educational and scientific content at international wildlife film festivals in America and also the "Grand Award for Best Documentary", New York Festivals 1998.

It took a number of other films including "Amazing Earth" for Discovery Channel when he got to burn his boots on a Hawaiian Volcano, before he graduated to assistant producer. Finally he arrived as producer of a film called "Winning Teams and Selfish Genes" for America's WNET 13. This film was part of a series called "Triumph of Life" exploring aspects of evolution. "Winning Teams" dealt with the evolution of social behaviour in animals including the human animal.

"Winning Teams and Selfish Genes" won the "Prix Nature & Decouvertes" at the International Ornithological Film Festival in France.

Sam's final experience in mainstream media was as a producer for the vast Internet start-up company NOW.com that was attempting global broadband television broadcasting. The overall experience was a lesson in the wisdom of starting small and growing organically to fit a niche. The company collapsed soon after Sam left (which was definitely not his fault).

Teeny Tiny Films has grown at a healthy organic rate and has produced over 35 useful local films to date. These have largely been youth orientated participatory films (various Co. Durham schools, Darlington B.C: Children's Services; Looked after Children, Natural England), but include commissioned docs for the NHS and private companies with social ethos and the first non-commissioned Doc "Karl's Lambing" for sale. We plan to make more docs for a wider market as well as retaining our community roots.

In February 2010 Sam's film "Teesdale Hill-farming Story" won the Royal Television Society Award for best non-broadcast factual film at the North East and Borders event at the Sage in Newcastle upon Tyne.

"Young Bull Elephant, Meru National Park" c.Sam Forsyth 1992