Stephen Maing Explained

Stephen Maing is an American documentary filmmaker, cinematographer and producer. His documentary Crime and Punishment won a 2019 Emmy Award. His 2024 film Union won a 2024 Sundance Jury Award.

Early life and education

Maing grew up in a large extended family, whose experiences with loss and war significantly influenced his perspective.^[1]

Work

Maing's career in documentary filmmaking was influenced by filmmakers like the Maysles, Fred Wiseman and Jean Rouch. A key moment in his early twenties was when he saw a student's raw video diary of a police shootout, which deeply affected him and pushed him towards documentary filmmaking.

Maing's relationship with the Sundance Institute began in 2010 with the support for his first feature documentary, High Tech, Low Life. His film Crime + Punishment premiered at Sundance.

Stephen Maing has directed four documentaries with support from the Sundance Institute, with Union being his latest work. Union, co-directed with Brett Story, explores the efforts of the Amazon Labor Union in Staten Island, New York.

Personal life

Maing resides in Brooklyn.

Filmography

Credits!Year!Title!Notes

2012	High Tech, Low Life
2015	The Surrender
2018	Crime + Punishment
2020	Dirty Gold	Part of Dirty Money (2018 TV series),filmed in Peru’s Amazon rainforest^[2]
2024	Union

Awards and recognition

Stephen Maing received the Courage Under Fire Award for his work on Crime + Punishment.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2024-05-14 . Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Stephen Maing, the Co-Director of "Union" - sundance.org . 2024-07-08 . en-US.
2. Web site: 2024-04-10 . IDA Member Spotlight: Stephen Maing International Documentary Association . 2024-07-08 . www.documentary.org . en.
3. Web site: 2018-11-14 . Courage Under Fire Award: Stephen Maing and the NYPD 12 International Documentary Association . 2024-07-08 . www.documentary.org . en.