Draft:Emmett Williams III

Emmett Williams (Emmett Dixon Williams, III) is an American documentarian, filmmaker, singer-songwriter, musician, and writer from St. Louis, Missouri. He is known for his work as a producer on When Pop Culture Saved America and the work he’s led under his production company since 2006, Mission Man Media.

After leaving the University of Missouri - Columbia where he studied journalism, Williams worked as a freelance writer and cycled a series of non-profits and editorial jobs including Creative Loafing in South Carolina where he was an arts and entertainment editor.

Williams lives and works in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Early Life
Emmet Dixon Williams, III was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He has one brother and graduated from Parkway Central High School in 1986. During his high school years, Williams became a vegetarian and attended summer camp with future collaborators, including David Levin, producer of "When Pop Culture Saved America."

Williams attended the University of Missouri - Columbia, where he studied journalism before leaving in his third year to travel. He subsequently pursued freelance journalism focusing on music and the arts, working in South Carolina, New York, Turkey, and Washington State.

Film Career
Williams began his television career in New York as a researcher and writer for "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" He worked with networks such as OWN, Animal Planet, TLC, and Discovery Channel between 2006 and 2010. Williams increasingly focused on his own projects through his production company, Mission Man Media. His first independent film, "Native Past, American Present," was funded by the Montgomery County Arts & Humanities in 2009.

Under Mission Man Media, Williams produced several films, including "Camp Twitch and Shout: The Movie" (2009), documentaries for Scott Ginsberg in St. Louis, and various other projects such as "Following the Drinking Gourd," "We Are All Fishermen," "Our Alaskan Stories," and "Indigenous." He also served as editor on the award-winning film "They Say I’m Your Teacher" (2020).

Williams’ work in the film industry is closely tied to advocacy. He served as managing director and supervising producer of Stone Soup Films from 2012 to 2014. From 2019 to 2021, he worked with Current Movements, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that uses film to build awareness and encourage activism through monthly screenings. Williams also worked as a television producer at WHUT, Howard University Television in D.C., and later started Lights, Camera, Take Action in North Chicago.

In 2016, while in Sitka, Williams collaborated with the Island Institute to develop a storytelling program at Mount Edgecumbe High School. Funded by a $20,000 grant from the Crossett Fund, the program aimed to teach students storytelling and filmmaking techniques, providing high-quality audio and video kits for student use.

Music Career
As a multimedia artist, Williams also contributes to the Lo-Fi, Indie, Alternative, and Folk genres with his five records: Understanding Gravity, Far From Home, Another True Story, A Place To Stand, and Songs for Lost Dogs. Williams draws musical inspiration from Ani DiFranco, Neil Young, Indigo Girls, Nick Drake, Bill Withers, and Richie Havens. He has toured the United States and Europe and was featured in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal (and Riverfront Times - St. Louis, French News Ouest-France, and Turkish Daily News)

Filmography •	Sister Doula (2023) •	The Garcia Family (2022) •	We Are All Fisherman (2017) •	Camp Twitch And Shout: The Movie (2010	•	Native Past, American Present (2009)

Discography •	Understanding Gravity •	Far From Home •	A Place To Stand •	Another True Story •	Shine •	Songs for Lost Dogs

Publications •	Time Out Istanbul •	Creative Loafing •	Al Jazeera covering the World Cup (this was just for TV - America Tonight. 	•	Reported on Standing Rock KCAW

Awards •	Telly Award for When Pop Culture Saved America