Gregg Helvey

Oscar Nominee and Student Academy Award Winner, Gregg Helvey, has traveled the world to film in countries such as Rwanda, El Salvador, China and Kenya on projects ranging from National Geographic and BBC1 documentaries to independent fictional films. As a filmmaker, Helvey seeks to combine his passion for social justice with powerful storytelling. This was recognized when The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) invited Gregg to become a lifetime member of the Academy. He currently votes for all Oscar categories, serves on the selection committee for the Oscars' Foreign Language Film Award category, and is also an Executive Committee member for the Student Academy Awards. Helvey wrote, directed and produced "Kavi," the 2010 Oscar-nominated short film that also won the 2009 Student Academy Award; gold medal in the narrative category. "Kavi" was filmed entirely on location in India and tells the story of a young boy who wants to play cricket and go to school, but instead he is forced to work in a brick kiln as a modern-day slave. Kavi must either accept what he's always been told, or fight for a different life even if he's unsure of the ultimate outcome. Helvey's other award-winning work includes the documentary, "Overexposed," which examines how pornography affects men. Dr. Drew, Adam Carolla and other cultural pundits comment on the issue as the cameras follow two men trying to navigate the rocky road of love, sex and intimacy in the age of virtual fantasies. Helvey received his M.F.A in film production from the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, and his B.A.s in English and French from the University of Virginia.