This is what I’ve done —
Adam Nelson is a film director and screenwriter drawn to stories where memory, identity, and emotional complexity unfold within richly textured worlds. His work brings an intimate lens to broader landscapes—exploring the quiet tensions between past and present, tradition and change, solitude and connection. With a background in theatre and a deep reverence for cinematic tradition, Adam approaches storytelling as world-building: where design, color, sound, and camera all serve a deeper emotional truth.
His fascination often centers on characters navigating legacy, displacement, and a search for meaning—especially in the face of shifting cultural or institutional values. Visually, his work embraces tone, place, and atmosphere as narrative tools, balancing emotional realism with an expressive, crafted aesthetic.
As a filmmaker, Adam has been fortunate to travel globally to share and create stories that have gone on to garner international accolade, earning multiple Emmys, Cannes Lions, and film festival jury prizes. He has recently directed works shot across Los Angeles, New York City, London, Toronto, Vancouver, Budapest, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand.
This is what I’m doing —
Adam is developing the feature film, Care a narrative adaptation of a memoir by late activist Ady Barkan. The film will star Freddie Highmore and Dakota Fanning and is Executive Produced by Killer Films’ Christine Vachon (Past Lives, Carol, First Reformed). Produced by Randy Manis (Kill Your Darlings) and Neal Dodson (A Most Violent Year, All is Lost), Care marks a deeply personal and timely exploration of love, activism, and mortality. Adam also collaborates with Oscar-winning producer John Carls (Rango, Where the Wild Things Are) on a slate of original animated and live-action projects. Between narrative work, Adam tells stories for brands like BMW, Smokey Bear, Adidas, and others.
This is what inspires me —
Crafting meaningful stories that: explore the profound mystery of what it means to be human, bring people together, and cultivate understanding and community; Technical craft and artistry; Organizations that fight for causes like this (or this); Elia Kazan and John Ford movie marathons; Cinema history, hiking, snowboarding, travel, live theatre, and music and books.