Paul Devlin (filmmaker)
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Paul Josiah Devlin is an American sports editor and documentary filmmaker.
Education
Devlin is a B.A. graduate of the University of Michigan. While in high school he penned a now widely-shared 'I reject your rejection' letter to Harvard (and other colleges) that sent him rejections.[1] The letter was published in the New York Times and performed in Letters Live by Himesh Patel.[2]
Career
A seven-time Emmy winner for his work on NBC's Olympics and CBS's Tour de France, Devlin's films include Power Trip, which screened in 60 countries theatrically across the United States and on PBS's Independent Lens where it was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, and has won 10 film festival awards, including top prizes at Berlin International Film Festival, Hot Docs-Toronto, and the Florida Film Festival.[3]
Devlin also made the award-winning film SlamNation, which follows the competition at the National Poetry Slam, released in theaters and on HBO/Cinemax and Encore/Starz. An interview with Devlin compromises an entire chapter in the book Words In Your Face: A Guided Tour through the New York City Poetry Slam, which refers to the movie as "Slam's Second Bible."[4]
His second film Power Trip captures a clash of culture that combusts when an American energy company, AES, must transform the dysfunctional electricity distribution system in Tbilisi, capital of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Power Trip was nominated for the 2004 Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary.
His film BLAST! follows a team of international astrophysicists led by Paul's brother, Dr. Mark Devlin, as they attempt to launch a telescope on a NASA high-altitude balloon. BLAST! was the first film to partner with the website ArtistShare, a website that allows fans to support the work of their favorite artists.
Devlin's latest film, The Front Man, is a documentary following the rock-and-roll career of the Loaded Poets, a band from North Brunswick, New Jersey. The film documents the band's struggle for success and the member's continued dream of rock and roll fame. The band also appeared in Devlin's first film, Rockin' Brunswick, which documented the 1980s New Brunswick music scene.[5]
His other credits include his fiction film The Eyes of St. Anthony and his work as producing editor on the organic film FREESTYLE: The Art of Rhyme, broadcast on VH1 and winner of the Special Jury Award for Documentary Filmmaking at the Florida Film Festival.
As an editor, Devlin's credits include commercials, music videos, television shows, and major sports broadcasts, including CBS's Super Bowls and ABC/ESPN's World Cup Soccer.
Personal life
Devlin is married to Emily Raabe.[6]
Filmography
- SlamNation
- Power Trip
- BLAST!
- Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme
- The Front Man
- Slammin': The Sport of Spoken Word
References
- ^ "How a high school senior responded to a rejection letter from Duke". The Christian Science Monitor. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ Devlin, Paul (May 5, 1996). "Make Rejection Work for You". The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- ^ "IMDB Awards page for Paul Devlin". IMDb.com.
- ^ Aptowicz, Cristin O'Keefe. (2008). Words in Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam. New York City: Soft Skull Press. p. 137. ISBN 1-933368-82-9.
- ^ Machos, Joe (2 February 2010). "Rockin' Brunswick - 1983". Vimeo.com. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ "Emily Raabe, Paul Devlin". The New York Times. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2022.