Charlie Buhler (born December 25) is an American director,[1] photographer, and producer. She is best known for her directorial debut, Before the Fire,[2][3][4] a pandemic thriller that premiered in 2020 amid the COVID-19 crisis.[5][6] Buhler's other notable work includes the documentary Rosebud and Eric Stoltz's feature film Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk where she played Jasmine.[7][8] In 2008, Buhler was the first African-American woman to be crowned Miss South Dakota USA.[9][10] She later represented South Dakota at the Miss USA 2008 pageant.[11]

Charlie Buhler
Born
EducationUniversity of Notre Dame
Occupation(s)Film director, photographer, producer

Life and career

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Charlie Buhler was born on Minot Air Force Base in Minot, North Dakota, to Darlene (Tinsley) Buhler and Carey Buhler. She is mixed-race, and often cites her diverse background as a major source of inspiration for her work.[12][13] She spent her childhood in Rapid City and Mitchell, South Dakota, and then went on to study film and American politics at the University of Notre Dame, where she was the first African-American woman to be elected class president. She graduated in 2010.

In 2016, Buhler had a role in Eric Stoltz's debut feature, Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk. A coming of age dramedy about young Jehovah's Witnesses discovering sex, drugs and rock and roll in the 80's. She played Jasmine.[14]

In 2020, she made her directorial debut with the pandemic thriller, Before the Fire, which she also produced.[15][16][17] It starred Jenna Lyng Adams, Ryan Vigilant and Jackson Davis, and premiered in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.[18] The film made its world premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival[19] newsworthy due to its eery similarities to the ongoing crisis,[20][21] and received positive reviews.[22][23][24]

Buhler is also a documentarian and photographer. Her most notable work was the photography series, ROSEBUD which she shot over two years on the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Indian Reservations in South Dakota. It was published in the Photographic Journal in 2018.[25][26]

Awards and nominations

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FILM
YEAR AWARD WORK RESULT
2021 Cinequest: Best Feature Thriller Before the Fire Won
Harlem Film Festival: Best Production Won
COMMERCIAL AND MUSIC VIDEO
YEAR AWARD WORK RESULT
2022 CLIO Awards: Best Music Video[27] Black Superhero Bronze
ADC Awards: Best Music Video[28] Silver
Webby Awards: Best Branded Content[29] Snapchat Inclusive Camera Nominated
The One Show: Best Branded Content[30] Gold

References

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  1. ^ "Doomsday Signs Director Charlie Buhler For Her 1st U.S. Spot Representation". SHOOTonline. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  2. ^ "Charlie Buhler's Debut Feature Before the Fire Stokes the Flames this Summer". Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "Cannes 2020: Charlie Buhler & Jenna Lyng Adams' Pandemic Thriller "Before the Fire" Goes to Dark Sky". womenandhollywood.com. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  4. ^ "How Charlie Buhler reverse engineered a pandemic script to make the timeliest film of the year". Archived from the original on 2020-08-15.
  5. ^ "'Before The Fire' director Charlie Buhler says 'structural change' needed to give women filmmakers more visibility". meaww.com. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  6. ^ Gourmet, Movie (2020-03-01). "Before the Fire: when sanctuary brings its own terror". The Movie Gourmet. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  7. ^ "Charlie Buhler #75". Drinks with Tony. 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  8. ^ Leydon, Joe (2018-02-22). "Film Review: 'Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk'". Variety. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  9. ^ "Charlie Buhler crowned Miss South Dakota USA". Archived from the original on 2020-06-15.
  10. ^ "Student wins state beauty pageant". The Observer. 2007-11-20. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  11. ^ "Miss USA On The Way". CBS News. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  12. ^ "'Before The Fire' director Charlie Buhler says 'structural change' needed to give women filmmakers more visibility". meaww.com. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  13. ^ "About". charliebuhler.co. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  14. ^ "'Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  15. ^ "Charlie Buhler Shoots Film close to Home". Archived from the original on 2020-06-15.
  16. ^ "Charlie Buhler's Debut Feature Before the Fire Stokes the Flames this Summer". Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  17. ^ "Before the Fire - A First Feature From Two Fearless Females". Frame.io Insider. 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  18. ^ Lin, Chiu-yi (2020-04-03). "Fiction? Reality? Charlie Buhler's debut movie digs deep". KOTA Territory. Archived from the original on 2020-04-03. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  19. ^ "Charlie Buhler's Before the Fire makes World Premiere at Cinequest". Archived from the original on 2020-06-15.
  20. ^ "'Before the Fire' eerily similar to global pandemic". KELOLAND.com. 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  21. ^ "Charlie Buhler's directorial debut hits close to home". Archived from the original on 2020-04-03.
  22. ^ Cook, Carson (2020-03-09). "Cinequest Review: Before the Fire". Rough Cut. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  23. ^ "2020 Cinequest Film Festival review: 'Before The Fire' is a dire warning. | I Scream You Scream". Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  24. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (2020-05-26). "MPI Picks Up North American & International Rights To Pandemic Thriller 'Before The Fire', First Trailer — Cannes". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  25. ^ "Wakanyeja". thephotographicjournal.com. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  26. ^ Pearce, Isabella (2020-09-18). "From Compton Cowboys to Rosebud rappers: how Charlie Buhler is defying stereotypes of BIPOC communities". Shado Magazine. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  27. ^ "Robert Glasper - Black Superhero". Clios. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  28. ^ "Black Superhero". The One Club for Creativity. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  29. ^ "NEW Webby Gallery + Index". NEW Webby Gallery + Index. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  30. ^ "Building a More Inclusive Camera, Together". The One Club for Creativity. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Suzie Heffernan
Miss South Dakota USA
2008
Succeeded by
Jessica Rowell
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