Filmmaker Nicholas Shumaker
Nicholas Shumaker
From Cuban boxing gyms to the front lines of independent film
When I first met Nicholas he was nearly thirty and, by his own cheerful admission, excited to go gray. A producer who had already spent years inside the bureaucracies of Cuba, he talked about documentaries the way other people talk about people they love: with patience, curiosity, and a kind of devotion to the story underneath the story. He also shares how much he enjoys a good Rum.
One of the best things about this platform is looking back at where careers began. Nicholas is one of those people. What follows is a conversation from the very start of his journey, alongside a look at the roster he has built in the years since.
Antakly Projects · Film & Story Series · Originally 2010 · Updated 2026
Nicholas Shumaker came to film the long way around. He played a rarified game of tennis professionally, decided it might not be his path, and assisted the Nightline producer Mike Cerre before heading to Cuba on a grant for more than three years. There he made Boxers and Ballerinas, learning the craft inside the gyms and studios of Havana.
Back in the States, he met a fellow named Jack Turner at a bar who was starting a company, and the rest became history. He built a body of work across feature films and documentaries, drawn always to human stories told on many levels at once.
In the years since this first conversation, he worked as a talent agent at United Talent Agency before joining Anonymous Content, where he now heads AC Independent, overseeing international sales and financing for auteur-driven and international cinema.
How and why did you get involved in film making?
I needed a job out of university and played a rarified game of tennis professionally. Realizing that that might not be the best path for me, I assisted for Mike Cerre, a producer from Nightline, and then headed off to Cuba on a grant for three plus years, where I did a doc called Boxers and Ballerinas.
I then headed back to the States, met a terrific fellow named Jack Turner at a bar who was starting a company, and the rest has been history. I love documentaries and find people to be so inexplicably interesting. I find their stories to be so valuable on so many different levels, and feel blessed to be able to scratch by making a living on this.
What inspires you?
Werner Herzog. The directors I work with, specifically Alex Mar, Neil Davenport, and Mike Cahill. But that is who. What inspires me is human stories on a variety of levels.
And the Ear Inn, and Pao. David Wain and his good friend Jim Stansel.
Favorite projects you have worked on so far?
I love all the projects I am working on right now, but am particularly amped with the three I have in production. Very excited about Fighting Gravity, as it exposes a reprehensible case of gender discrimination levied by the International Olympic Committee towards female ski jumpers.
"American Mystic will be beautiful and will reconfigure our outlook on fringe religions. Another Earth will be surreal and trippy."
Favorite directors?
Werner Herzog. He is a maverick and can consistently discover some of the more interesting stories and people. Similarly Errol Morris.
Also a big fan of the absurdist comedy of David Wain, Michael Showalter, and Michael Ian Black.
What would be a dream project for you?
I would work on any Herzog film, even as an intern or PA.
Favorite websites?
I am addicted to indiewire.com. Sadly. Also love politico.com and truthdig.com.
And some sites that I would rather not mention, as my grandmother, who is quite internet savvy, might stumble on this site and find them quite distasteful.
Fighting Gravity, tell us more.
We are shooting Fighting Gravity right now, and you can see the trailer online or join our page. I think it is a compelling story, and these girls, who have dedicated their lives to the original extreme winter sport, have been continually shot down by an old guard of the Olympic Committee who, in the past, have held the sport back for reasons that deal with reproduction. As if hockey or gymnastics does not offer risks, for men or for women.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Shumaker entered the film industry in the mid 2000s and gained recognition as a producer on notable independent titles through the 2010s. He later worked as a talent agent at United Talent Agency before joining Anonymous Content, where he initially contributed as a manager and producer in the literary department.
He has since advanced to head AC Independent, overseeing international sales and financing for independent films, with a portfolio that includes representation of multiple titles at the Sundance Film Festival and handling rights for high profile projects such as The Boy and the Heron and documentaries by Alex Gibney.
An advocate for auteur cinema
Shumaker's career emphasizes supporting auteur-driven and international cinema, advocating for theatrical opportunities for thoughtful independent films and fostering cross-border collaborations to manage risk while preserving creative vision. His efforts have helped position AC Independent as a key player in the global independent film market within its first years of operation.
He earned a nomination for the Film Independent Spirit Award in the Best First Feature category for Another Earth (2011), shared with director Mike Cahill, producer Hunter Gray, and Brit Marling.
Recent recognition
For the documentary Orwell: 2+2=5, he received a special mention in the Best Feature Documentary category at the 2025 International Documentary Association Awards. He also received a nomination for Best Documentary Film at the 2026 Chicago Indie Critics Awards.
This feature draws on a conversation originally published around 2010 and expanded for the Antakly Projects archive in 2026. Nicholas's original words are reproduced with his voice intact.
Part of the Antakly Projects film and design archive, conversations with the people shaping the stories we watch. Read all interviews here.
Stay curious,