MSU Alum Wins Emmy for Documentary Writing

BOZEMAN — Deia Schlosberg, an alumna of Montana State University’s Science and Natural History Filmmaking program, won an Emmy award for outstanding documentary writing for her film “The Story of Plastic.” Winners in the 42nd annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards were announced in October by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

“The Story of Plastic” is the feature-length directorial debut for Schlosberg, who is also a writer and producer on the film. Other awardees who contributed to writing “The Story of Plastic” are Kyle Cadotte, Tony Hale, Megan Ponder, Brian Wilson and Stiv Wilson.

Schlosberg said she uses film to “highlight stories at the intersection of social justice and climate change.” “The Story of Plastic” opens with a quote from a 1956 Society of Plastics Industry speech, stating “The future of plastics is in the trash can,” laid over a drone shot of an island buried in trash amid what would otherwise be an idyllic river scene. In the film, Schlosberg paints a dire picture of global plastics pollution, compounded by recycling practices that further harm the environment.

Schlosberg is the founder of production company Pale Blue Dot Media and is currently directing “Bootstraps,” a docuseries that follows 11 households in a universal basic income experiment. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in Science & Natural History Filmmaking at MSU in 2013. While at MSU, Schlosberg directed and produced “Backyard,” a documentary focusing on the human cost of fracking. The film was lauded at international film festivals and won two student Emmys.

This is the ninth national Emmy won by an MSU alum, according to Dennis Aig, professor in the School of Film and Photography in the College of Arts & Architecture and head of the Science and Natural History Filmmaking program.

The 42nd News and Documentary Emmy Awards honored outstanding content from more than 2,200 submissions that originally premiered in 2020, according to a release from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The awards were judged by a pool of 950 professionals from across the news and documentary industries.

“The Story of Plastic” is available on the subscription DiscoveryGo streaming service, or for rent or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV and Xfinity video-on-demand.

-by MSU News Service -