Kartemquin Films is a four-time Oscar-nominated 501(c)3 non-profit production company located in Chicago, Illinois, that produces a wide range of documentary films. It is the documentary filmmaking home of acclaimed producers such as Gordon Quinn (A Good Man), Steve James (Hoop Dreams), Peter Gilbert (Hoop Dreams; At the Death House Door), Maria Finitzo (Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita; In the Game), Joanna Rudnick (In the Family), Bing Liu (Minding the Gap), Aaron Wickenden (Almost There), and Ashley O’Shay (Unapologetic).
The organization was founded in 1966 by Gordon Quinn, Jerry Temaner and Stan Karter, three University of Chicago graduates who wanted to make documentary films guided by their principle of "Cinematic Social Inquiry". They were soon joined by Jerry Blumenthal, who remained an integral part of the organization until he died on November 13, 2014. Gordon Quinn remained Executive Director through late 2008 when he transitioned to Artistic Director, and Justine Nagan was named Executive Director. In 2015, Betsy Steinberg, former managing director of the Illinois Film Office, was named the new Executive Director until 2018. In 2019, Jolene Pinder was named Executive Director. Pinder left the organization in 2020. In 2022, co-founder and artistic director Gordon Quinn transitioned to a senior advisor role; after a nationwide, yearlong search, in October 2022 Kartemquin hired Amir George as its second artistic director in its history.[1] Less than a year later, George was no longer with the organization.
In 2015, Gordon Quinn was announced as the International Documentary Association's Career Achievement Award recipient for his contributions to documentary filmmaking on over 50 films, and his services to the field through advocacy around fair use and public media.[2]
In 2016, Kartemquin's 50th anniversary was recognized with awards from Ashland International Film Festival; Chicago International Music and Movies Festival (CIMMfest); the Peace on Earth Film Festival; and the Chicago Latino Film Festival, and with retrospectives at Hot Docs; UCLA Film and Television Archives; the University of Chicago's Doc Films; and on Chicago's PBS Station WTTW, and with an art and equipment exhibition at the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events' Expo 72 gallery.