Paul Conrad Zehrer (born October 10, 1963, in

Sauk Centre, Minnesota Sauk Centre ( ) is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,555 at the 2020 census. Sauk Centre is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area. Sauk Centre is the birthplace of Sinclair Lewis, a noveli ...

) is an American film and television director, writer, producer, and editor. He was raised on a dairy farm and worked as a

beekeeper A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees, a profession known as beekeeping. The term beekeeper refers to a person who keeps honey bees in beehives, boxes, or other receptacles. The beekeeper does not control the creatures. The beekeeper ow ...

before studying

Philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college be ...

. He later moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, where he began his filmmaking career. Zehrer's directorial debut, ''Blessing'', which captures the rhythms and rituals of Midwestern farm life, received an

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...

nomination for Best First Screenplay. He also directed the Emmy-nominated ''

Blue's Clues ''Blue's Clues'' is an American interactive educational television, educational children's television series created by Traci Paige Johnson, Todd Kessler, and Angela Santomero, Angela C. Santomero. It premiered on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block ...

'' (Nickelodeon), was an editor for '' Frontline'' (

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

), and has edited a number of feature documentaries, including "Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones" and

' "Picasso Paints Picasso".

Awards and nominations

, Best First Screenplay - ''Blessing'' (nomination) *

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

, Best Director - ''

'' (nomination) *

Sundance A Sun Dance is a Native American ceremony. Sun dance or Sundance may also refer to: Places ;Canada * Sundance, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * Sundance, Manitoba, a ghost town ;United States * Sundance, New Mexico, a census-designated pl ...

Grand Jury Prize - ''Blessing'' (nomination) * Heart of America Award, Best Feature - ''Blessing'' * Gold Jury Award, Houston International Film Festival - ''Blessing'' * Critic's Award,

Deauville Film Festival The Deauville American Film Festival () is a yearly film festival devoted to American cinema, which has taken place since 1975 in Deauville, France. It was established by Lionel Chouchan, André Halimi, and then Mayor of Deauville Michel d ...

- ''Blessing'' (nomination)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zehrer, Paul 1963 births Vassar College alumni Living people American television directors Film directors from Minnesota People from Sauk Centre, Minnesota