Urbanized

Synopsis

Urbanized is a feature-length documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world's foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers. Who is allowed to shape our cities, and how do they do it? By exploring a diverse range of urban design projects around the world, Urbanized frames a global discussion on the future of cities.

Director

Gary Hustwit is an independent filmmaker and photographer based in New York and London. He has produced eight feature documentaries, including the award-winning I Am Trying To Break Your Heart about the band Wilco; Moog, the documentary about electronic music pioneer Robert Moog; and an experimental feature film with the band Animal Collective. Gary worked with punk label SST Records in the late-1980s, ran the independent book publishing house Incommunicado Press during the 1990s, was Vice President of the media website Salon.com in 2000, and started the indie DVD label Plexifilm in 2001.

In 2007 he made his directorial debut with Helvetica, a documentary about graphic design and typography. The film marked the beginning of a design film trilogy, with Objectified, about industrial design and product design following in 2009, and Urbanized, about the design of cities, in 2011. The films have been broadcast on PBS, BBC, HBO and television outlets in 20 countries, and have been screened in over 300 cities worldwide.

His film and photographic work has been included in exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art New York, the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, the Design Museum London, The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Storefront for Art and Architecture New York, and the Colette Gallery in Paris, among others.

Gary is a member of the Documentary Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.