Clio™ Award winning commercial director and independent filmmaker Steve Mims’ work has screened internationally in festivals, theatrically and on television. His 2016 New York Times “Critic’s Pick” STARVING THE BEAST documented the systematic defunding and radical reform of public universities across America. The Los Angeles Times: called it “…a jolt of chilling clarity.” Variety: “polished and provocative.” The Village Voice: “Alarming…a strong narrative with compelling cinematography.” 93% Fresh, Rotten Tomatoes(RT) His documentary INCENDIARY: THE WILLINGHAM CASE (2011) [co-directed by Joe Bailey, Jr.] won the 2011 SXSW Louis Black Award, the 2012 Innocence Network Journalism Award and the 2013 Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Media Award. Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post called INCENDIARY: “Nonfiction filmmaking at its most classic. Crime, punishment, morality and hardball politics make for an explosive mix all their own.” (83% Fresh, RT) Variety’s Justin Chang wrote of his feature length narrative comedy ARLO & JULIE (2015): “...this comic mystery is a low-key, low-budget charmer.” (100% Fresh, RT) His 2016 viral political ad ELECT GERALD PLEASE was viewed 9 million times and won 11 local, national and international awards including a Lone Star EMMY® Award.
Among his short fiction film work, The New York Times called Steve’s movie AUNT HALLIE, “A treasure...which belongs on everybody’s list of the top-10 funniest nine minute films ever made.” His short WEBB WILDER, PRIVATE EYE: THE SAUCER’S REIGN became a late television cult classic on USA Network’s anthology series NIGHTFLIGHT and helped spawn the roots-rock band WEBB WILDER AND THE BEATNECKS. His work has screened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (Film Society of Lincoln Center, New Directors/New Films) Bilbao, Spain, Hamburg, Germany, St. Petersburg and Moscow. His film awards include the American-Soviet Film Initiative Pick (Ann Arbor Film Festival) the Gold Apple Award (National Educational Film Festival) and the Silver Hugo Award (Chicago International Film Festival). A compilation of three of his shorts (WEBB WILDER’S CORN FLICKS) was release nationally by BMG/Zoo Entertainment. His latest fiction shorts include THE ONE-OFFS, REFLEX, HONORARIUM, and WEBB WILDER’S SCATTERGUN.
His short documentary work includes THE ONE ARM DOVE HUNT, LIVE FOREVER: THE LIFE AND SONGS OF BILLY JOE SHAVER, and SOUZAY: A LIFE IN ART. Recent projects include a short biographical documentary GOD/MAN/ACCORDION and SOUTHFORK PILGRIMS, a short documentary about fans of the television series DALLAS for the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum. In 2009, Steve won the Barbara Jordan Media Award (director/editor/co-producer) for his short documentary about dyslexia called CHANGING CHILDREN’S LIVES.
His feature-length music documentaries include RUTHIE FOSTER: LIVE AT ANTONE’S, (Blues Foundation Award for Best DVD of 2012) LIZARDS TIMES TWENTY: AUSTIN LOUNGE LIZARDS LIVE AT ANTONE’S and THE AUSTIN LOUNGE LIZARDS: THIRTY YEARS OF LOST LUGGAGE, all released through Blue Corn Music/ADA/Warner Music Group.
His music videos include work for The Naughty Ones, Pat McLaughlin, Cotton Mather, Webb Wilder, Stephen Bruton, Los Straitjackets, the Austin Lounge Lizards and Billy Joe Shaver. His videos have aired on More Music, TNN, CMT, CMT Europe, M2 and MTV. His video of Billy Joe Shaver’s HOTTEST THING IN TOWN was voted Best Music Video of 1994 by the Austin Chronicle. Television broadcasts include PBS, Italian Public Television, Campus Network, USA Network, Arts & Entertainment Network and The Learning Channel.
Steve earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Southern Mississippi and a Master of Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a film lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin and a 2017 inductee into the University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Mass Communications Hall of Fame.
Awards
2017 National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Lone Star Chapter Emmy®Award
Commercial: “Re-Elect Gerald, Please”
2017 SILVER CLIO™ AWARD, Public Affairs. Commercial: “Re-Elect Gerald, Please”
2017 “POLLIE” Awards (American Association of Political Consultant’s “Oscars of Political Advertising”) Gold Awards: Best Use of Humor” and “Best Single Ad in a local/municipal election” and Bronze Award:”Best in Show”.
Commercial: “Re-Elect Gerald, Please”
Two 2017 “REED AWARDS” (Campaigns & Elections Magazine) “Best TV ad for a Local, County or Judicial Candidate” and “Most Original TV Advertisement”.
Commercial: “Re-Elect Gerald, Please”
2017 GOLDEN POLARIS AWARD (European Association of Political Consultants)
Commercial: “Re-Elect Gerald, Please”
2017 WEBBY AWARD, Best Video Ad Honoree (Advertising, Media and PR/long-form) from the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS).
Commercial: “Re-Elect Gerald, Please”
2017 “ONE SHOW MERIT AWARD” (The One Club for Art and Copy, New York, NY)
Commercial: “Re-Elect Gerald, Please”
2017 ADDY AWARD, Judge’s Choice Award, Austin Ad Federation.
Commercial: “Re-Elect Gerald, Please”
2014 GOLD AWARD FOR FEATURE LENGTH COMEDY
[Arlo & Julie]
Trinidad Independent Film Festival
2014 BRONZE TELLY AWARD
TV spot [Prosecutor]
35th Annual Telly Awards
2013 MEDIA AWARD
[Incendiary: The Willingham Case]
Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
2013 BRONZE TELLY AWARD
TV spot [Road Block]
34th Annual Telly Awards
2012 BEST DVD OF THE YEAR
[RUTHIE FOSTER LIVE AT ANTONES]
Blues Foundation
2011 INNOCENCE NETWORK JOURNALISM AWARD
[Incendiary: The Willingham Case]
Innocence Network
2011 LOUIS BLACK AWARD
[Incendiary: The Willingham Case]
South By Southwest Film Festival
2009 BARBRA JORDAN MEDIA AWARD
[Changing Children's Lives]
Office of the Governor (Texas)
2005 CASE SILVER AWARD
TV spot, [DANCE] District VI
University of Wyoming
2005 CASE SILVER AWARD
TV spot [TIM], District VI
University of Wyoming
2001 CASE GOLD AWARD
TV spot [DAVE'S DECISION] District VI
University of Wyoming
2000 JUDGE'S AWARD FOR BROADCASTING
TV spot [ThinkHub]
1998 ADDY
Regional/National TV Consumer Products [Relax the Back]
1994 AUSTIN MUSIC AWARDS BEST MUSIC VIDEO
[Hottest Thing in Town, Billy Joe Shaver]
Austin Chronicle
1994 ADDY AWARD (7th District)
TV spot [Peace of Mind]
1994 CITATION OF EXCELLENCE
American Advertising Federation
[Against All Odds]
1992 SILVER HUGO AWARD
[Horror Hayride]
CHICAGO FILM FESTIVAL
1991 GOLD APPLE AWARD (aging)
[Aunt Hallie]
National Educational Film Festival
1991 GOLD SPECIAL JURY AWARD
[Aunt Hallie]
Houston International Film Festival
1991 AMERICAN SOVIET FILM INITIATIVE PICK
[Aunt Hallie]
Ann Arbor Film Festival
1990 BRONZE MEDAL (narrative)
[Aunt Hallie]
New York Expo of Short Film and Video
1990 DIRECTOR'S CHOICE AWARD
[Aunt Hallie]
Atlanta Film and Video Festival
1989 BRONZE ANVIL
[Mississippi Signing Off]
Public Relations Society of America
Press
Press for Starving the Beast
STARVING THE BEAST TRACES BURDENS OF HIGHER EDUCATION DEFUNDING
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Critics’ Pick, Daniel M. Gold
September 8, 2016
ALARMING DOC 'STARVING THE BEAST' ARGUES THAT EDUCATION SHOULDN'T FACE DISRUPTION
THE VILLAGE VOICE
Daphne Howland
September 7, 2016
FILM REVIEW: STARVING THE BEAST: THE BATTLE TO DISRUPT AND REFORM AMERICA'S PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
VARIETY
Joe Leydon
September 2, 2016
THE ATLANTIC
Emily Deruy
September 2, 2016
WHO'S BEHIND THE RIGHT-WING ASSAULT ON PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES?
THE NATION
Eric Alterman
September 1, 2016
THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IS IN JEPARDY, AND THIS DOCUMENTARY EXPLAINS WHY
WASHINGTON POST
Danielle Douglas-Gabriel
September 2, 2016
SALON
Andrew O’Hehir
September 9, 2016
THE CRISIS FACING AMERICA'S PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION
HUFFINGTON POST
So That Happened, Jason Linkins & Zach Carter
September 1, 2016
BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF THE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY EXPLORED IN FILM
MARKET WATCH
Jillian Berman
September 7, 2016
BEHIND THE BATTLE ON PUBLIC UNIVERSITY FUNDING
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Lunch Break with Tanya Rivero
September 8, 2016
AFTER PUBLIC COLLEGES SUFFER MANY BLOWS, A FILM FIRES BACK
THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Katherine Mangan
August 30, 2016
THE HUFFINGTON POST
Jason Linkins
September 2, 2016
THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE
Marc Savlov
September 16, 2016
‘STARVING THE BEAST': A PROVOCATIVE LOOK AT THE PUSH TO COMMODIFY HIGHER EDUCATION
THE WASHINGTON POST
Stephanie Merry
September 1, 2016
MEET THE FILMMAKERS SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE PUBLIC-FUNDING POWER STUGGLE
TRIBEZA
Anne Bruno
photos: Inti St. Clair
August 2016
INSIDE HIGHER ED
Ellen Wexler
March 22, 2016
(PDF)
‘STARVING THE BEAST EXAMINES HIGHER EDUCATION BATTLE
AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Charles Ealy
March 9, 2016
(PDF)
‘STARVING THE BEAST: THE BATTLE TO DISRUPT AND REFORM AMERICA'S PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES: SXSW REVIEW
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
John DeFore
March 21, 2016
(PDF)
Press for Incendiary: The Willingham Case
PUTTING JUSTICE UNDER A MICROSOPE
THE NEW YORK TIMES
October 6, 2011
Dave DeWitt
A TRUE CRIME TALE AND A POLITICAL PORTRAIT: INCENDIARY HONORS FACTS
THE WASHINGTON POST
September 29, 2011
Anne Hornaday
MOVIE REVIEW: INCENDIARY: THE WILLINGHAM CASE
Guilty or innocent? There's no easy answer
THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
November 18, 2011
Sheri Linden
AFTER THE DEATH PENALTY, STILL FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE
INCENDIARY: THE WILLINGHAM CASE
THE VILLIAGE VOICE
October 5, 2011
Nick Schager
REVIEW: INCENDIARY THE WILLINGHAM CASE
THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE
September 23, 2011
Kimberly Jones
REVIEW: INCENDIARY THE WILLINGHAM CASE
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
October 3, 2011
John Defore
INCENDIARY THE WILLINGHAM CASE: JUSTICE GETS BURNED
THE HUFFINGTON POST/ HOLLYWOOD AND FINE
October 7, 2011
Marshall Fine
REVIEW: INCENDIARY THE WILLINGHAM CASE
POP GOES THE WEEK
October 16, 2011
Mike Finkelstein
SXSW REVIEW: INCENDIARY THE WILLINGHAM CASE
SLACKERWOOD
March 23, 2011
Jenn Brown
press for the viral Gerald Daugherty political ad
LA TIMES
TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER GERALD DAUGHERTY TEACHES US HOW TO DO POLITICAL ADVERTISING
FORBES
TEXAS CANDIDATE'S WIFE TO VOTERS: RE-ELECT HIM BEFORE HE DRIVES ME CRAZY
THE TODAY SHOW
SIX QUESTIONS FOR THE AGENCY THAT WON THE INTERNET
AD AGE
PLEASE ELECT GERALD: BEST POLITICAL AD OF ELECTION AND IT'S NOT TRUMP OR HILLARY
THE DAILY MAIL
DON'T MISS THIS VIRAL CAMPAIGN AD FOR TEXAS GOP OFFICIAL-AND HIS BORED WIFE
TALKING POINTS MEMO
WIFE PLEADS WITH TEXAS VOTERS TO RE-ELECT HUSBAND SO HE'LL GET THE HELL OUT OF THE HOUSE
CBS NEWS
RE-ELECT GERALD IS THE POLITICAL AD WE ALL NEEDED
WASHINGTON POST
GERALD DAUGHERTY RE-ELECTION AD
COSMOPOLITAN
IN TENSE CAMPAIGN SEASON TEXAS AD GOES FOR LAUGHS
WNBC NEW YORK
FUNNY CAMPAIGN AD FOR GERALD DAUGHERTY
USA TODAY
IT'S OFFICIAL THIS IS THE BEST POLITICAL AD OF 2016
YAHOO NEWS
ONE OF THE BEST POLITICAL ADS I'VE EVER SEEN
MORNING JOE, MSNBC