Lutman Films

General information

San Franciscan born Michael J. Lutman is an award-winning independent
filmmaker with a keen interest in environmental advocacy. His first feature
documentary Plasticized (2011) followed Marcus Eriksen and the 5 Gyres
Institute’s ground breaking plastic pollution research in the South
Atlantic ocean. This film, along with the topical follow up Baykeepers
(2014, OIFF Best Short Documentary), helped show that marine plastic
pollution is part of a global epidemic. He has also created an extensive
body of work for numerous NGO’s covering topics such as female employment
in Afghanistan to battling poverty in Sri Lanka, such as the fundraising
Cycle on Ceylon (2012) film for Practical Action’s (UK NGO) infrastructure
projects. Currently he is in post-production for his next documentary about
an independent thinking Afghan girl struggling to pursue music and higher
education in the war scarred city of Kabul. Bolstered by a commercial
sensibility garnered from working as an editor for 7 years at one of
Australia’s most respected post-production houses, The Butchery, Michael
has a relentless passion for making soulful and thought provoking films
challenging stagnant perspectives.