Oscar Bucher

Oscar Bucher

Oscar Bucher creates narrative films, documentaries, and music videos, along with innovative commercial works for some of the world’s top business leaders, including Genentech, SAP, PayPal and many others.

Bucher says, "As a passionate filmmaker and storyteller, I am driven to create works that engage the audience with compassion, humor, and surprise, allowing us to share our humanity through bold cinematic narratives. Simply put, I entertain people with really cool stories."

Career Highlights

  • Bucher's film, Waiting for a Train: The Toshio Hirano Story. screened in over 50 international festivals, as well as on PBS and won 11 awards, including one from the International Documentary Association.
  • He has teamed up with Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett to direct a series of short films, with a larger project in development.
  • He edited the pilot episode of a new hour -long docudrama, Without A Scalpel, which follows three patients and their doctors through ground-breaking procedures that heal and transform their lives.
  • His most recent work, Nelson Algren Live, stars Willem Dafoe and premieres at the Pacific Film Archive in June, 2016.

Work Experience

EVOLVE MEDIA PRODUCTIONS — Director, Editor — 2010-Present

Assist and direct creative teams to incorporate client’s message with strong scripting, professional film production and high-end motion graphics for great visual appeal and compelling storytelling.

BARRY GIFFORD — Screenwriting Assistant — 2001-Present

Collaborate with award-winning writer Barry Gifford, author of the David Lynch films Lost Highway and Wild Heart, on screenplays for independent film production.

FILMMAKER — OB3 Studios — 1999-Present

Writer/director/editor of several award-winning short films, documentaries and music videos. Recent works include: Too Much Horror Business, a documentary for Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett; Nelson Algren Live, a feature-length film starring Willem Dafoe; Getty Lucky, a documentary about a lounge singer/private eye; and Waiting for a Train, which was recently featured on PBS.

FILM SCHOOL TEACHING ASSISTANT — San Francisco State University — 2008-2009

Taught and/or assisted instruction in the following classes: Film History II (2008), Film and Society (2009), Eastern European Film (2009), Digital Sound for Film (2009)

INQUILINE THEATRE COMPANY — Co-founder, Director, Producer — 1998-2004

Directed and/or produced nine critically acclaimed theatrical productions.

SAN FRANCISCO CITY COLLEGE — Assistant Teacher — 1999

Supervised and assisted students with projects on Avid non-linear editing systems.

Awards and Honors

  • Winner of the IDA/David L. Wolper Documentary Award, International Documentary Association, 2010
  • Winner “Crystal Heart Award”, Heartland Film Festival, 2010
  • Winner “Best of Fest – Documentary”, Official Best of Fest Awards, 2010
  • Winner “Best Non-Fiction Film” and Winner “Audience Award”, Nevada City Film Festival, 2010
  • Winner: “Best Short Documentary”, Chicago Int’l Film and Music Festival, 2010
  • Winner: “Outstanding Documentary”, Angelus Student Film Festival, Hollywood, 2009
  • Nominated for “Best Documentary Short” & “Bay Area Short”, San Francisco Int’l Film Festival, 2009
  • Winner: “Best of Fest - Audience Award”, LZ Digital Short Film Festival, San Francisco, 2009
  • Winner: “Best of Fest - Audience Award”, SFSU Film Finals Festival, San Francisco, 2009
  • Winner: The John Gutmann Filmmaker of Excellence Award, 2009
  • Winner: The Murphy & Cadogan Fellowship, 2009, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery
  • Nominated for Humanitas Award for “Angel of Mercy”, a script for television pilot, 2008
  • Winner: Production Donation Awarded from Eastman Kodak, 2008
  • Winner: The Jack Oakie & Victoria Horne Oakie Creative Arts Scholarship, 2008
  • Winner: Audience Award, Chicago Horror Festival: “The Peephole” 2005
  • Winner: Santa Barbara Foundation Award, 1991