Difference between revisions 845933984 and 848219072 on enwiki

{{Infobox person
| name = Michael Skolnik
| image = 
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| birth_name = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1978|8|15}}
| birth_place = [[Mount Kisco, New York]], United States
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_cause =
| residence = [[New York City|New York]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States
| nationality = American
| other_names =
| occupation = CEO of The Soze Agency
| years_active = 
| title =
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| spouse = 
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}}
'''Michael Skolnik''' (born August 15, 1978) is an entrepreneur, film producer, news commentator, [[civil rights]] activist and motivational speaker.

Skolnik is the CEO and co-founder of The Soze Agency. Previously, Skolnik was the president of GlobalGrind.com. Prior to this, Skolnik spent twelve years as a film director and producer.

==Early life and education==
Skolnik was born in [[Mount Kisco, New York]] and grew up in [[Katonah, New York]]. He graduated from [[John Jay High School (Cross River, New York)|John Jay High School]] in [[Westchester County, New York]] in 1996.

Skolnik's mother, Martha, after running a lunch café and bakery for 16 years, embarked on a film career, serving as Skolnik's editor on many of his films.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0804617/|title=Martha Skolnik|publisher=IMDb.com|accessdate=2013-12-05}}</ref> Skolnik's father, Simon, is chairman of the Conservation Board of [[Bedford Hills, New York|Bedford, New York]] in the [[Bedford (town), New York|Town of Bedford]] and is the vice president of the [[New York State Association of Conservation Commissions]].{{Citation needed|date=October 2014}}

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=== 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
s://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=https://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=https://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=https://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=https://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=https://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.

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{{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]]