Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) 2024 Conference

Michael Brown excels as both an adventure athlete and a filmmaker. He has been to the summit of Mount Everest five times with cameras rolling. Michael's lens has captured scientists at the South Pole for National Geographic, ice cave explorers in Greenland for NOVA, tornado chasers for The Discovery Channel, avalanche patrols in the Alps for the BBC, extreme skiers across the globe, and rock and mountain climbers for several giant-screen IMAX movies. His films always tell heartfelt human stories set against dramatic landscapes and exciting adventures. Michael has received many film festival & industry awards, including three national Emmy Awards, the International Alliance for Mountainfilm’s Grand Prize, and the Explorer’s Festival’s 'Camera Extreme.' Michael’s other passion is teaching adventure filmmaking with an emphasis on storytelling. Outside Magazine described the cerebral filmmaker as a "swashbuckling librarian," and Men's Journal calls him "a master of gut-dropping action."

Michael takes us on a journey to understand how to turn travel and adventure media into great storytelling. When making a film about an expedition with an unknown outcome before the event, such as a blind man attempting Mount Everest, one must know how to connect with the audience and have a lasting and meaningful impact.