The Self-Made Man: Filmmaker Bio

Susan Stern (Director/Producer/Writer) has been an investigative journalist for more than 20 years. She has written for the Boston Globe, Sacramento Bee, San Francisco Examiner and Oakland Tribune. The Wall Street Journal credited Stern's Tribune exposé of Navy base closures with "saving thousands of local jobs." Stern has also written and produced news for KPIX-TV, San Francisco's CBS affiliate.

She is married to underground cartoonist and artist, Spain. Their daughter, Nora, inspired Stern's first film, "Barbie Nation: An Unauthorized Tour," which aired on POV in 1998. "Barbie Nation" was a favorite at the South by Southwest Film Festival, won the Golden Spire for documentary at the San Francisco International Film Festival, and has become standard viewing in college classrooms studying American culture and sexuality. Learn more about "Barbie Nation" and Susan's projects at Bernalbeach.com.

Stern is currently chair of New Day Films, the most successful cooperative distribution business in the media industry.