Difference between revisions 841904916 and 845933984 on enwiki

{{Infobox person
| name = Michael Skolnik
| image = 
| image_size =
| caption = 
| birth_name = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1978|8|15}}
| birth_place = [[Mount Kisco, New York]], United States
(contracted; show full)n bringing attention to the youth violence epidemic of America. Writing thousands of articles on GlobalGrind about the deaths of young people, Skolnik became a leading voice around the issue of violence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://globalgrind.com/tag/he-has-a-name/|title=He has a name|date=|publisher=Global Grind|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref> On February 26, 2012, Skolnik reported on the death of [[Trayvon Martin]] as part of his series.

On March 19, 2012, Skolnik published an op-ed, entitled, 
“"White People, You Will Never Look Suspicious Like Trayvon Martin.”"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://globalgrind.com/2012/03/19/michael-skolnik-trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman-race-sanford-florida-photos-pictures/|title=White People, You Will Never Look Suspicious Like Trayvon Martin by Michael Skolnik|author=|date=2012-03-19|publisher=Global Grind|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref> Following this release, Skolnik appeared on numerous national broadcasts discussing the complicated issues surrounding the death of the teenager.

Skolnik worked with the Obama administration on various issues and actions. In 2011, Skolnik co-led an effort organizing the first Urban Entrepreneur Summit sponsored by the White House. He also served on Vice President [[Joseph Biden]]'s task force on gun violence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://politic365.com/2013/01/16/youth-promise-act-will-violence-prevention-bill-be-in-obama-gun-violence-plan/|title=Youth PROMISE Act: Will Violence Prevention Bill Be in Obama Gun Violence Plan?|last=Victoria|first=Lauren|date=2013-01-16|publisher=Politic365|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref>  And in 2012, Skolnik joined the Obama re-election campaign as an official surrogate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deadline.com/2012/11/hollywood-for-obama-romney-star-surrogates-out-on-final-campaign-day/|title=Hollywood For Obama & Romney: Star Surrogates Out On Final Campaign Day|last=Patten|first=Dominic|date=|publisher=Deadline.com|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref>

Skolnik worked on federal legislation, working with and advocating on behalf of young people for bills like: repeal of Don’'t Ask Don’'t Tell,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-simmons/stop-the-lying-repeal-don_b_712423.html|title=Russell Simmons: Stop the Lying: Repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'|date=2010-09-10|publisher=Huffingtonpost.com|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref> Youth PROMISE Act,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-albracht/over-100-prominent-public_b_3088342.html|title=Matthew Albracht: Prominent Public Leaders and Entertainers Write Pres. Obama Urging(contracted; show full)

Skolnik campaigned to legalize [[same-sex marriage]] in New York and Maryland with [[Brendon Ayanbadejo]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://bruni.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/22/carrying-a-cause-to-the-super-bowl/?_r=0|title=Carrying a Cause to the Super Bowl|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref>

=== Film ===
In 1998, at the age of 20, Skolnik began his film career as Executive Producer of Danny Hoch
’'s ''Jails, Hospitals and Hip-Hop''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210130/|title=Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop (2000)|publisher=IMDb.com|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref>

Skolnik’'s directorial debut was the award-winning ''La Esquina Caliente,''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/209868/La-Esquina-Caliente/overview|title=La-Esquina-Caliente - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes|date=|accessdate=2013-12-05|publisher=NYTimes.com}}</ref> a documentary about the baseball games between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cuban National Team that took place in 1999. The film premiered on the Sundance Channel.

His next film would be ''[[Hooked: The Legend of Demetrius “"Hook”" Mitchell]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389010/|title=Hooked: The Legend of Demetrius Hook Mitchell (2003)|publisher=IMDb.com|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref> a documentary film about one of the greatest playground basketball legends to ever play the game. Hooked made its world premiere at the 2003 [[Tribeca Film Festival]] and premiered on NBA-TV and MTV.

In 2004, Skolnik co-produced and associate produced two documentaries for HBO: [[America Undercover]] series: Back in the Hood: Gang War II<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0429630/|title=Back in the Hood: Gang War 2 (2004)|publisher=IMDb.com|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref> directed by [[Marc Levin]] (Slam, Thug Life) and ''Heir to an Execution: A Granddaughter’'s Story,''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388996/|title=Heir to an Execution (2004)|publisher=IMDb.com|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref> which made its world premiere at the [[Sundance Film Festival]].

Also in that year, Skolnik made his feature film directorial debut with the award-winning, ''On the Outs,'' which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. He was nominated for a Gotham Breakthrough Director Award and an IFP Indie Spirit Award for Best Feature.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389235/|title=On the Outs (2004)|publisher=IMDb.com|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref>  ''On the Outs'' played theatrically around the United States and in France, and had a televised broadcast on the Showtime Network.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/315423/On-the-Outs/overview|title=On-the-Outs - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes|last=Holden|first=Stephen|date=2005-07-13|accessdate=2013-12-05|publisher=NYTimes.com}}</ref>

''[[Filmmaker (magazine)|Filmmaker]]'' magazine named him 25 filmmakers to watch in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/archives/issues/summer2005/features/25_faces21-25.php#.Up9wAJEeJB8|title=25 NEW FACES OF INDEPENDENT FILM 2005 - Filmmaker Magazine - Summer 2005|date=|publisher=Filmmaker Magazine|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref>

In 2005, Skolnik began a film project about Grammy Award winning artist, [[Wyclef Jean]]’'s quest to bring peace to his homeland, Haiti.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt3MJ2ZTJ1s|title=Wyclef Jean "Sou Sou" Music Video|date=|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref> He filmed for over 4 years, however the film is still incomplete.

In 2006, Skolnik co-directed ''Lockdown, USA,'' a documentary film about Russell Simmons and his quest to end New York State’'s Rockefeller Drug Laws, that premiered at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival and aired on the [[IFC (U.S. TV network)|IFC]] Channel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479971/|title=Lockdown, USA (2006)|publisher=IMDb.com|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref>

Also in that year, Skolnik directed ''[[Without the King]],'' financed by Netflix, a documentary film about the last ruling monarch in Africa, King Mswati III of Swaziland.

In 2007, Skolnik signed a development deal with Universal Studios and was working on a film for Imagine, produced by Brian Grazer, about the last four days of President Jean-Betrande Aristide’'s time in Haiti.

In 2008, Skolnik produced the indie-feature, ''[[Entre nos|Entre Nos]],'' starring Paola Mendoza and co-directed by Gloria La Morte and Paola Mendoza, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tribecafilm.com/filmguide/archive/512cd8461c7d76e046000002-entre-nos|title=Entre nos &#124; Tribeca Film Festival|date=|publisher=Tribecafilm.com|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref>

Inspired by the 2008 election of Barack Obama, Skolnik decided to leave the film business to pursue a new career in social justice and new media.

=== Television personality ===
Skolnik appears regularly on MSNBC,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.com/the-cycle/watch/obamas-surprising-record-on-pardons-54359619585 |title=Obama’'s surprising record on pardons |publisher=MSNBC |date=2013-10-15 |accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref> CNN<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/07/02/lemon-special-marsalis-skolnik-n-word-hip-hop.cnn.html|title=CNN Video - Breaking News Videos from |publisher=CNN.com |date= |accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref> and Fox News<ref>{{cite web|url=http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/08/06/michael-skolnik-and-laura-ingraham-debate-rapper-jay-zs-hbo-comments-middle-clas(contracted; show full)|-
| 2004 || ''On the Outs'' || YES || YES
|-
| 2004 || ''Back in the Hood: Gang War 2'' || YES ||
|-
| 2005 || ''Protocols of Zion'' || YES ||
|-
| 2006 || ''Autumn
’'s Eyes'' || YES ||
|-
| 2006 || ''Still Standing'' || YES ||
|-
| 2006 || ''Lockdown, USA'' || YES || YES
|-
| 2007 || ''[[Without the King]]'' || YES || YES
|-
| 2009 || ''Entre nos'' || YES ||
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skolnik, Michael}}
[[Category:1978 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American civil rights activists]]
[[Category:American Jews]]
[[Category:People from Mount Kisco, New York]]
[[Category:People from Katonah, New York]]