Stanford Doc Program Alumni Earn 2026 Emmy Nominations
Reid Davenport (MFA '16) earned a nomination for Outstanding Directing: Documentary for Life After, which tells the story of Elizabeth Bouvia, a disabled Californian woman whose 1983 fight for the "right to die" sparked a national debate. Davenport, who makes films about disability from an overtly political perspective, previously won the Best Directing Award at Sundance 2022 for his feature I Didn't See You There and received the Truer Than Fiction Award at the 2023 Independent Spirit Awards. Life After premiered at Sundance 2025, where it earned the Special Jury Award. Life After is also nominated for Outstanding Producing: Documentary, with Lyntoria Newton (MFA '17) as co-producer.
Sara Newens (MFA '11) earned a nomination for Outstanding Editing: Documentary for her work on The White House Effect, directed by Bonni Cohen (MA '94) and Jon Shenk (MA '95), which explores the dramatic origin story of the climate crisis and a political battle in the George H.W. Bush administration that changed the course of history. Newens' editing of Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Sundance 2023) earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Picture Editing and a Cinema Eye Honors award. She also edited the seven-time Emmy-nominated series Allen v. Farrow.
Faye Tsakas (MFA '23) is nominated for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary as a producer on Thoughts & Prayers, which traces the $3 billion active shooter preparedness industry in the United States and its effect on students and educators. Tsakas was named one of Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Cinema and a Vimeo Breakout Creator. Her thesis film Christmas, Every Day premiered at SXSW 2024 and won the Hot Docs Special Jury Prize.
