David VassarSpeaker and Booking Agent Information

In addition to producing programs about the natural world, Mr. Vassar has produced and directed films about music and dance at the La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts in New York City, the social implications of the return of Hong Kong to China and an exploration of the ancient Maya of Central America. He also has created "immersive" digital video environments for museums.

Mr. Vassar has earned a number of prestigious awards for his work. A River in Disguise (1986) was honored with five Los Angeles Emmy® awards. His first feature-length documentary, Generation On The Wind (1980), was nominated for an Academy Award as “Best Documentary Feature.” He has been internationally recognized by CINE, the Chicago, Atlanta, Miami and Hawaii Film Festivals and won three Emmy’s® from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in D.C. At the age of 24, Mr. Vassar received a Silver Hugo from the Chicago International Film Festival for his multimedia production, Replenish The Earth. During the 1990s, he was a primary director for the highly rated NBC television series Unsolved Mysteries.

Mr. Vassar’s first documentary film, Yosemite (1970), brought him to the attention of the National Park Service, where he later worked for two years as a park ranger in Yosemite Valley.

Today, Mr. Vassar’s production company, Backcountry Pictures, creates films and television programs that celebrate the beauty of nature and capture the history and culture of our surrounding communities. The company excels in producing programs that impart a sense of wonder about the natural world inspiring viewers to establish their own personal bond with nature.