BIOGRAPHY











Michael Downey is a two-time Emmy nominated cinematographer, 





director and producer working on feature documentaries, series,





short films and commercials. His work has been featured on A&E, 





BBC, CNN, Channel 4, Disney+, HBO, National Geographic, The 





New York Times, PBS, Rolling Stone, VICE and other online, 





broadcast and streaming outlets.









Downey started out as a print journalist, doing magazine features 





as a contributing writer to Rolling Stone, then moved into





video journalism where he was staff at the BBC in Beirut, covering 





the region as a shooter/editor. After going freelance, he began 





working for Channel 4 News and NYT, among other news outlets,





before starting work in feature documentaries and series.
















Downey’s most recent conflict work covered the Russian invasion of Ukraine for The New York Times, of which Downey was the 





recipient of an Edward R. Murrow Award for that coverage. Following his work during the invasion, Downey worked as a 





cinematographer and field producer on the feature documentary ‘Defiant,’ with Academy Award nominated filmmakers Karim Amer 





and Mike Learner, and Academy Award winning producer for ‘Navalny’, Odessa Rae. The film, which premiered at TIFF, offers a rare 





behind-the-scenes look at the war in Ukraine and roles of key world leaders in the war. Following those projects Downey worked as 





cinematographer on Frontline’s feature on Elon Musk and WSJ’s feature on Wagner Group, both of which were nominated for an 





Emmy in 2024.









Downey’s first work on a documentary feature was in 2015 with Academy Award winning filmmaker Eva Orner on her film ‘Chasing 





Asylum’ as a segment DP for Lebanon. The film received an AACTA Award for Best Feature Length Documentary. 














In 2022, Downey received Picture of the Year International’s Documentary Award of Excellence for his short documentary on the 





dying bird language in northern Turkey. Later that year Downey DOP on the blue-chip six-part series titled ‘Lift the Ice’, an 





adventure/science series which was filmed across five continents in some of the most remote places in the world for Beach House 





Pictures and Curiosity Studios. 














Additionally, he was approached by Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Rita Baghdadi to assist as an additional 





cinematographer on her film ‘Sirens,’ a coming-of-age documentary and Sundance selection for 2021.














In 2018, Downey worked on his first series with Chef Nigel Slater OBE as DP for BBC2. His earlier work saw him cover major political 





events in the MENA region, such as the civil wars in Libya and Syria, the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, the 2011 Arab Spring 





uprising in Egypt, as well as the conflict in Iraq.














Downey is currently working on a feature documentary for Open Planet Studios.














AWARDS & NOMINATIONS









    

  • 2024 National Press Photographer’s Association Best of Photojournalism – First Place Video Photojournalist
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  • 2024 Emmy Nomination- ‘Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover’ FRONTLINE
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  • 2024 Emmy Nomination – ‘Shadow Men: Inside Wagner, Russia’s Secret War Company’ The Wall Street Journal
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  • 2024 Peabody Nomination – ‘Shadow Men: Inside Wagner, Russia’s Secret War Company’ The Wall Street Journal
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  • 2023 Edward R. Murrow Award – The New York Times Coverage of the Russia-Ukraine War
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  • 2022 Picture of the Year International – Documentary Award of Excellence for ‘Bird Language’
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SERVICES & EXPERTISE













Whether it’s an expedition to the middle of the Arctic; trekking through the Amazon; navigating high risk areas and conflict zones; a studio or anywhere between; telling stories and filming in difficult environments is part of what I specialize in. Having worked across five continents in over 60 countries, I’m able to handle any level of production – from directing and cinematography and focusing on the story, to producing and solving the wide range of logistical issues that can present themselves on any shoot.































Aerial Cinematography










As a licensed drone pilot in the U.S., Europe and Canada I can fly on commercial shoots and file flight plan requests for restricted airspace. Also, as a licensed P3 paraglider I’ve filmed while flying as a workaround to mounting a heavy camera rig on a drone for a unique perspective









Underwater Cinematography





Licensed advanced diver, max depth of 30 meters, diving experience in tropical and arctic environments.



































HEFAT Certified, Conflict Zones





HEFAT certified and extensive experience covering conflict from Ukraine, to Syria, Libya, Iraq, Gaza, Lebanon, DRC and other sometimes complex environments. 














Editing





From short docs, to news, sizzles and trailers; I edit, color grade and sound mix/design working with various programs from Premier, FCPX, Resolve, and After Effects


























Lighting & Set Design





Regardless if it’s in a studio or 800 meters underground, motivated lighting is everything. You don’t always get a chance to plan ahead, but when you do, working with directors to get the look they want – whether it’s for a master interview, or challenging locations – is an integral part of cinematography and one of my favorite aspects working to shape light.




































Media Consulting





From developing and producing ad campaigns for NGOs, to advising organizations on media strategy, my 15 years of experience help guide individuals or organizations to navigate the media landscape.