Rudy Bednar is a successful television producer and director who has been in the industry for more than 40 years.
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY, March 12, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Rudy Bednar with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Bednar celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. Bednar is a successful television producer and director who has been in the industry for more than 40 years. Naturally curious from a formative age, he was drawn to filmmaking and broadcast journalism. His experience working as a young musician combined with an intuitive eye for emotionally charged images helped forge his signature style.
Rudy's first role with ABC was in 1976 as producer and director for the Owned Station Group, next was Good Morning America, 20/20 and Primetime Live where he combined innovative storytelling and new technologies that he helped develop with the ABC engineering lab.
His work for ABC News took him across the globe, from the Amazon to Athens, the North Pole to North Korea – investigating the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Scotland, documenting Richard Leakey's controversial crusade to end elephant poaching in Africa, and alone on the ground filming the politically charged crisis in Tibet. Domestically, he was recognized for stories such as space shuttle Columbia's tragic final mission, living on the streets of Portland, OR, with runaway teens, searching for the nation's humanity as the AIDS epidemic peaked, and in the recording studio and in interviews with Michael Jackson, as reports of child abuse began to surface.
Supported by ABC executives, it was VP Phyllis McGrady, who promoted him to senior producer and worked together to launch "Turning Point" a weekly documentary series with hosts Peter Jennings, Diane Sawyer, and Barbara Walters. By 1997, Rudy was a highly regarded producer with a unique voice; he was asked to head a new unit responsible for creating long form content in prime time. There, he produced and directed numerous documentaries including the provocative "Planet Earth 2000" with Leonardo DiCaprio, network TV's first immersive verite medical series "Hopkins 24/7", and "Unbroke", a scripted comedic take on the world of finance, with Melody Hobson and Will Smith.
For ABC's entertainment division, Mr. Bednar was called upon to executive produce and direct documentaries with Michael J. Fox, Christopher Reeve and Oprah Winfrey – as well as a series of music performance specials with Brittany Spears, Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga and Beyonce.
While at ABC News Rudy continued to bring powerful content to the prime time schedule. Partnering with Maha Productions and director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, to produce the original 2-hour network version of "The Staircase" - later expanded by Sundance and Netflix, where it won an Oscar for best documentary. And together with The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bednar initiated a yearlong global health series which played across all ABC platforms.
In 2012, "Final Witness" became the first docu-drama program for ABC News. A true-crime series with an indie sensibility, told from the POV of the murder victim. Its success and critical acclaim opened the door for the next chapter in Rudy's career – as an EP and director for scripted drama.
First came the eight-part series, "The Assets" in 2014, from the newly formed ABC/Lincoln Square Productions (later picked up by Netflix), with Jodi Whittaker playing the CIA agent responsible for catching the most lethal spy in U.S. history – Aldrich Ames. Mr. Bednar was both an executive producer and a director.
In 2016, ABC/LSP produced the mini-series "Madoff" with Richard Dreyfuss and Blythe Danner playing the notorious investment couple, with Rudy as an EP.
Mr. Bednar continued to developed stories based on true events while at ABC/LSP as the unit expanded to produce content for cable and streaming. Lifetime engaged Rudy as an EP for their TV movie "The Lost Wife of Robert Durst." He also directed documentaries on Isis, Ebola, and Vladimir Putin for NatGeo, Discovery and Sky as well as for the ABC special "The Last 100 Days of Princess Diana."
Then in 2018 came the next major move forward for Mr. Bednar - Silver Needle Films, LLC - with Rudy as owner, executive producer and director. An expert in documentary films and scripted dramas based on actual events, Rudy is writing and developing several projects expected to go into production over the next two years.
Throughout his career, Mr. Bednar's reputation has been built from a foundation of trust and diligence, qualities that have afforded him opportunities to work with world figures and celebrities including Audrey Hepburn, Stephen Hawking, Coretta Scott King, J.K. Rowling, the Dalai Lama, Bill Clinton, Peter Brook, Leonard Bernstein, Paul Simon, Elton John, Bill Gates, David Blaine, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Maya Angelou.
Rudy has always acknowledged the talented colleagues who have collaborated and contributed so much to his career and for the many gifts of chance - those unexpected surprises that have provided such wonderful moments on film and in life.
Honored for his work multiple times, Mr. Bednar has been the recipient of a Peabody Award, ten News and Documentary Emmy Awards, four Columbia DuPont Awards, an Investigative Reporters and Editors Award, and two Golden Cine Eagle awards. He was also nominated for two Primetime Emmys. Rudy is a member of the Directors Guild of America and The British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
He has notably been cited in more than 30 editions of Who's Who in America, Who's Who in Entertainment, Who's Who in the East, Who's Who in the World and Who's Who of Emerging Leaders in America.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Rudy Bednar has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
About Marquis Who's Who®
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
# # #