d-Facto Film Studio owner Michelle Paymar is an award-winning producer, director, writer, cinematographer, and editor whose work has aired on the major network and cable channels including NBC, ABC, PBS, CNBC, Discovery, Travel Channel, and American Movie Classics. She has filmed stories all over the world that encompass a wide range of subjects: news and current events, history, wildlife, the environment, health, education, travel, human interest, film, and much more.
Paymar's honors include a CINE Golden Eagle, a Gold Camera Award at the US International Film Festival, A Silver Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival, A Silver Award from the New York Festivals, two Bronze Tellys, two Platinum-Best of Show Aurora Awards, a Bronze at Worldfest International Film Festival, a Gold Hermes Creative Award, and an Award of Distinction from the Videographer Awards.
Her films have screened at the Chicago International Film Festival, the San Francisco and Los Angeles International Film Festivals, Torino Festival in Italy, Kinotek Gottingen in Germany, the South Asian International Film Festival in New York, the San Francisco and Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festivals, and many others.
She received a Master of Fine Arts in Film Directing from the American Film Institute and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Berkeley. Paymar is a member of the International Documentary Association and Women in Film.