Chris Temple is a film director and founder of Optimist, a production studio based in Los Angeles. He is particularly renowned for directing a range of feature documentaries, including Living On One Dollar, Salam Neighbor, Five Years North, and This Is Not Financial Advice. These films have been released by prominent platforms such as Netflix, HBO, Hulu, National Geographic, and The Atlantic, and have been showcased at numerous prestigious film festivals, including Tribeca, DOC NYC, Full Frame, AFI Docs, CPH:DOX, and many others.
Chris has received numerous accolades for his work, including being named a finalist for the duPont-Columbia award for outstanding journalism, recipient of the Muslim Public Affairs Council Annual Media Award, and recognized alongside notable figures such as Bill Gates and Angelina Jolie as one of the top 100 visionary leaders by YPO's Real Leaders Magazine.
His films have garnered a wide range of awards and nominations, including a Gold Telly Award, an Imagen Award, four Shorty Awards, two ADDY Awards, a Webby Award, and two AVA Digital Awards.
In 2022, Chris was honored by HBO as one of the top 40 filmmakers under the age of 40 to watch. At Optimist, Chris structures every film with a social impact campaign aimed at influencing minds, lives, and policies. His work has been featured in prominent publications such as The New York Times, Variety, and The Atlantic, and has contributed to raising over $92.5 million dollars for poverty alleviation and refugee support efforts.
