Adam Del Deo is a documentary filmmaker and multimedia artist who has been making films since the mid-1990s. Del Deo has directed and produced a number of feature and short documentaries, including the critically acclaimed The Diplomat, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, and the award-winning One Last Hug: Three Days at Grief Camp, which earned him an Emmy Award in 2011.
Adam Del Deo was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1976. He grew up in the city’s diverse communities, and developed an early appreciation for film and media. He attended McGill University, where he earned a degree in International Development Studies and a minor in Film Studies. After graduating, he took a job as a production assistant for a documentary filmmaker, a position that would serve as a stepping stone to his future career.
In 2000, Del Deo moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in documentary filmmaking. He began working for National Geographic Television, first as a production assistant and then as a producer. During this time, he developed a passion for filming stories about people from all walks of life, stories that had the potential to make an impact on viewers.
In 2006, Del Deo produced his first feature documentary, The Diplomat, which followed the story of a former diplomat turned human rights activist in the former Soviet Union. The film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.
In 2011, Del Deo released his second feature documentary, One Last Hug: Three Days at Grief Camp, which followed a group of grieving children as they attended a summer camp designed to help them cope with the loss of a loved one. The film won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Nonfiction Program.
In addition to his work as a documentary filmmaker, Del Deo is also a multimedia artist. His videos and installations have been featured in galleries and museums around the world, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the National Gallery of Canada.
Throughout his career, Del Deo has been committed to telling stories that explore the complexities of the human condition, stories that are both emotionally engaging and visually captivating. His films have earned him numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, the Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Nonfiction Program, and the Special Jury Prize at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.
Adam Del Deo
