Susan Hannah Hadary and William A. Whiteford
Winners of an Oscar®, A Peabody, and Emmy Awards
Oscar® award winning producers, Susan Hannah Hadary and Bill Whiteford began producing documentaries in 1980, bringing to the screen the portrait of many "ordinary people" who have had exceptional life circumstances. Often following their "documentary stars" for many years, they capture the journey of life. Their most famous work has featured the lives of children with physical disabilities and the experiences of elderly individuals. 
"Their work emphasizes the strength of the human spirit, offering hope, not despair."
--City Paper
Initially offering their documentaries on public television stations, unexpected national acclaim for Hadary and Whiteford began with HBO’s release of their documentaries Bong and Donnell, King Gimp and Love, Josh.
"Brush Strokes of Genius…"
--review of King Gimp, New York Daily News
Most recently, for Discovery Health, Susan Hadary has been the supervising producer and writer and Bill Whiteford has been producer/director on over 30 programs including the Med School series, Critical Incident series and Critical Hour series.
"…you realize how far Hadary and Whiteford have taken you beyond the usual semi-involved viewer responses of interest, pity or even empathy. Somehow the filmmakers made you care about them almost as much as a parent would." --The Baltimore Sun
2007 ushers in a new era at Video Press. With her significant experience as a producer for HBO and a supervising producer and writer for Discovery, Susan Hadary will assume total producer responsibilities and continue to work with the talented crews and editors who have contributed to previous productions.
"William Whiteford and Susan Hadary have proven themselves to be geniuses of low budget video." --The Sun
Documentaries by Susan Hadary and William Whiteford have been reviewed by film critics for numerous publications including the AP, The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, Variety, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and The Hollywood Reporter. They have been interviewed on Good Morning America, Weekend Today and been the guests on numerous radio shows.
National Production Credits and Awards

KING GIMP (HBO)
Oscar Award® Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
EMMY Nomination
Peabody Award
The New York Festivals
Media Disability Awareness Award
"Exhilarating but far from embarrassing…"
--review of King Gimp, New York Times
"The latest in HBO’s Family Video Diaries series is a buddy-movie documentary that never lapses into cheap sentiment."--review of Bong and Donnell, USA Today
CRITICAL INCIDENT
6 program series commissioned by TLC
MED SCHOOL
6 program series commissioned by Discovery Health
CRITICAL HOUR
16 program series commissioned by Discovery Health
LOVE JOSH (HBO Family)
Freddie Award
Best of Baltimore
SARAH'S GRADUATION (Maryland Public Television)
EMMY Nomination (regional)
“It’s an extraordinary film about how special the ordinary can be. It will remind you how good TV can be when the people making it care."
--review of Sarah's Graduation, The Baltimore Sun
GRACE (Offered Nationally on Public Television Stations)
First Place - Broadcast Journalism, Sigma-Tau Foundation
First Place - National Media Awards, The Retirement Research Foundation
Gold Apple, National Educational Film and Video Festival
First Place - Death and Dying, American Film and Video Festival
EMMY Award(Regional)
Chris Award, Columbus International Film & Video Festival
Blue Ribbon, American Film and Video Festival
RACHAEL IN MIDDLE SCHOOL (Maryland Public Television)
EMMY Nomination (Regional)
ONE EAST (Public Television Stations)
EMMY Nomination (regional)
Chris Statuette, 39th Annual Columbus International Film Festival
"One East has moments that are as carefully crafted and eloquent as anything you’ll see in any TV documentary this year." --The Sun
MARGE AND WALTER (PBS)
Chris Plaque,39th Annual Columbus International Film Festival
Silver Award, Corporation for Public Broadcasting
First Place, Images of Aging
"Marge and Walter...is the kind of documentary that dares to follow its heart."-- The Baltimore Sun
MISS NORA'S STORE (Public Television Stations)
EMMY Nomination (Regional)
Gold Apple, National Educational Film and Video Festival
"Even as it paints a bucolic portrait, Miss Nora’s Store delivers a message about what the elderly can do and how they can live when then are not fenced off, segregated, or even warehoused…" -- The Sun
SHAKISSHA AND FRIENDS (Public Television Stations)
Silver Award, Corporation for Public Broadcasting
CINE Golden Eagle
Susan H. Eastman Award, ACCH
Silver Apple, National Educational Film and Video Festival
BEGINNING WITH BONG (Public Television Stations)
Silver Award, British Medical Association
Chris Award
EMMY Award (Regional)
RACHAEL, BEING FIVE (Public Television Stations)
Chris Plaque,34th Annual Columbus International Film Festival
LIVING WITH GRACE (Public Television Stations)
CINE Golden Eagle
First Place,American Journal of Nursing
Chris Plaque, 32nd Annual Columbus International Film Festival
Grand Prize,International Rehabilitation Film Festival
MEDICATED GENERATION (Public Television Stations)
CINE Golden Eagle
THE WILSON CRISIS (Public Television Stations)
Chris Plaque, 31st Annual Columbus International Film Festival
Second Prize, International Rehabilitation Film Festival
DOMINICK AND MARGARET (Public Television Stations)
White House Conference on Aging Film Showcase
Award Winning Documentaries
King Gimp
Winner of the 1999 Academy Award® in the short Documentary category; also recipient of a national EMMY nomination and a Peabody Award. King Gimp follows Dan Keplinger from age 13 until his graduation from college, documenting the struggle of an individual with a disability to enter the mainstream and the birth of an artist. King Gimp aired on HBO.
"Gimp’s King of the Oscars…
It was the heart-wrenching surprise of Oscar night"
-- New York Post
“King Gimp is a profile in courage…”
-- Seattle Times
The Critical Hour
A 16 episode series for Discovery produced in 2004-2006, features care provided by the R Adams Cowlely Shock Trauma Center. Commissioned by Discovery
Bong and Donnell
A ten-year portrait of two inner city boys, the film takes you into the secret world of growing up -- thinking your mom is the greatest person in the world one year and knowing she'll never understand the next year. Bong and Donnell was selected by The Academy for inclusion in its 1995-96 Contemporary Documentary Series. After being released as a film, it was acquired by HBO and won a CableAce Award and two national Emmy nominations.
“Friends on A Roll…”
-- People Magazine
“Real emotion from real pals…”
-- USA Today
“The intimacy, trust and mutual help the friends give each other is inspiring…”
-- Hollywoood Reporter
“It’s a touching, often amusing and beguiling sketch about youthfulness…”
-- Variety, Los Angeles
Grace
Following the life of a woman for ten years, starting shortly after a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease. Grace, often unaware of the camera, screams out in fear, living in a timeless existence with no anchor of memory. Grace was selected by The Academy for presentation in its documentary series. After its release as a film, Grace was released on public television and won a regional Emmy award for best documentary as well as top awards in numerous other competitions.
”Grace touches the heart. There are moments in this film that distill emotion so well they should be freeze-framed and hung on the wall.”
-- The Baltimore Sun
Love, Josh
Released as a film in 2001 was aired on HBO Family and is the recipient of Freddie Award. A national outreach for this film was organized by The National Hospice and Palliative Care Association.
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Primary photos: Susie Fitzhugh, Additional Photography: Robert Stockfield; King Gimp photos, Chuck Fishman