Dave Simonds is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and actor. His documentaries—including Cherry Cottage: The Story of an American House, Forgotten Farms, The Hoy Boys, La Claridad, Finding Hope in Farmland, Hear Me, and Confronting Climate Change with Elizabeth Kolbert—have screened on PBS and at festivals and venues nationwide, earning recognition for their human-centered exploration of history, culture, community, social change, and overlooked stories. Before turning his focus to filmmaking, Simonds co-founded New York City’s Obie Award-winning Cucaracha Theatre and built a successful career as a stage and screen actor, appearing in Amateur, Henry Fool, The Book of Life, and Signs and Wonders. He continues to create documentary and short-form projects, including the ongoing comedy series Free Advice from an Old Guy with Jay Tarses, bringing humor, curiosity, and social observation to stories about ordinary people and the cultural forces shaping everyday life. He is a graduate of Bard College.