Highland Park Strong

Brett A. Schwartz is an Emmy®winning director/producer based in the Chicago area. Schwartz’s latest feature documentary RAISED UP WEST SIDE won a Regional Emmy in 2023 through the Chicago /Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. It screened in more than 25 film festivals, won numerous awards, and was released by Freestyle Digital Media in 2023 and is available via digital HD and DVD on many platforms including Amazon, AppleTV, Sling, and DirecTV. Schwartz’s feature documentary, INSATIABLE: THE HOMARO CANTU STORY premiered at SXSW in 2016 and screened in dozens of film festivals, both nationally and internationally, including The Seattle Int’l Film Festival, Napa Valley Film Festival, The Chicago Int’l Film Festival, Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival, and several others. The film is distributed by Virgil Films and has streamed on Hulu, Amazon, Apple TV, and additional services. A short film titled HIGHLAND PARK STRONG was nominated for a Regional Emmy Award in 2023, as was another short, MÁS QUE LA PLAY: PUERTO VALLARTA, in 2018. Schwartz’s feature-length documentary, MASHED MEDIA (2010) aired on PBS and is distributed by Films for the Humanities & Sciences. A short film entitled SHIFTING TRADITIONS (2000) aired on PBS and was distributed by The University of California Center for Media and Independent Learning. In addition to his work as an independent director/producer, Schwartz produced documentaries that aired on several networks, including Bravo, MSNBC, HGTV, Court TV, CBS, and PBS. Schwartz received a Master’s in Documentary Film and Video Production from Stanford University in 1999 and lives in Highland Park, Illinois with his wife and their two children.