Keith Famie
| Keith Famie | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 11, 1960 Michigan, U.S. |
| Television | Survivor: The Australian Outback |
Keith Famie (born February 11, 1960) is the executive producer and owner of Visionalist Entertainment Productions (VEP). Visionalist Entertainment Productions has been awarded eleven Michigan Chapter Emmy awards over the years for his human interest style films, which have all been broadcast on PBS. He is probably best known for being a contestant on the CBS reality television series, Survivor: The Australian Outback.[1] He was the 14th person to be voted off and finished in 3rd place.
Early life
Keith was born and raised in Farmington Hills, Michigan, United States. He resides in Novi, Michigan, and is the father of two children, Josh and Alicia. While attending high school, he began working in restaurant kitchens and after graduation, had traveled the world working in hotels located in such places such as Brussels, Monte Carlo and New York City.
Career
Famie opened his own restaurant in 1988, which was called Les Auteurs: an American Bistro, and in the same year was recognized in Food & Wine magazine as one of the "10 Best New Chefs". Les Auteurs was featured in Esquire Magazine's "Best New Restaurants of 1988." In 1993, Famie began making television appearances in cooking segments for local Detroit television stations. The popular segments ultimately led to several half-hour specials airing in Detroit. In 1998, he wrote a cookbook, Famie's Adventures in Cooking, which is published by Sleeping Bear Press.
In 1997, Visionalist Entertainment Productions was established by Famie, who created a series for various network-affiliate television stations based on his adventurous cooking in exotic locations around the globe. Produced both in short news format segments and hour-long documentaries, Famie quickly developed his own unique style of film production.
Following his appearances on Survivor, Famie continued his cooking-related writing and television appearances, albeit with a larger potential following, hosting a television series, Keith Famie's Adventures, for the Food Network, in which Famie traveled to various destinations to present local cuisine. According to the Food Network website, 30 episodes were produced. The pilot episode videotaped in Kenya debuted Monday, November 12, 2001. Another 28 half-hour episodes, and a one-hour special taped in Tahiti, were first broadcast in 2002. The title of his first post-Survivor cookbook, "Yes I Can Cook Rice and So Can You" referenced Famie's Survivor depiction.
In 2003, Keith Famie had another book published, titled "You Haven't Been There Until You've Eaten The Food." The book was published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers in New York. There are over 130 recipes in this book, covering his visits to six foreign countries and three U.S. states.
Documentary Film
Since then, Famie and his VEP team have produced a wide range of primetime programs, all winning a total of eleven Emmy awards.
"Ice Warriors," an action-packed documentary which follows the Detroit Red Wings alumni team throughout Russia, facing down some of the best players ever to strap on skates.
The 'Our Story Of' series, in what has been referred to as 'the most important documentaries about Detroit ever made,' tell the stories of Detroit immigrants of various ethnic backgrounds, each being examined in depth in one-hour specials.
'Our Italian Story' focuses on some of Detroit's most prominent Italian-Americans, following their footsteps through their toughest challenges, their boom times and tracks them through wars and economic downturns. It traces their seamless integration into business, politics and art, all the while rejoicing in an essential Italian zest for life.
'Our Polish Story' takes an inspiring look at their history, tracking Polish-Americans through the most tragic moments in their cultural history and revels in their greatest triumphs.
'Our Greek Story' is known as an enclave of faith, energy and progress. The Greek American community continues to carry on its tradition of hard work, family honor, and service to the community of the Greek culture.
'Our Arab American Story' a colorful look at Arab American customs, holidays and religious alliances, both Muslim and Christian throughout Detroit. It is an honest overview of the triumphs and tragedies of our Lebanese, Palestinian, Iraqi and Yemeni neighborhoods.
'Our India Story' follows Indian Americans through challenges and boom times and celebrates their assimilation into the world of medicine, business and religion.
'Detroit: Our Greatest Generation' explores World War II through the eyes of our 'greatest generation' and their courage, incomparable strength and their own voices. They deserve our honor, awe and gratitude and, above all, the right to have their experiences heard and taken to heart so that future generations are not again put to so severe a test.
'Our Vietnam Generation' an in-depth look into the lives of our Vietnam veterans who served in one of America's most horrific wars. Personal interviews, music and Motown, the meaning of the POW bracelet and the emotional view on the 'Wall That Heals' - a half-scaled replica of the Vietnam Veteran Memorial in Washington, D.C. We salute our Vietnam veteran heroes for their patriotism and honor them for their service, courage and sacrifice.
'Can You See How I See?' steps into the world of the blind and visually impaired, following the everyday lives of some incredibly blind and visually impaired individuals. For the sighted, it teaches us to understand the issues they face being obvious or not; that they all live a normal life, just in a different way.
'One Soldier's Story' honors Sgt. Michael Ingram, Jr. from Monroe, Michigan who was killed in active duty in Afghanistan in 2010. A story of bravery, courage and passion for what he believed in, Sgt. Ingram's life will live on through the foundation created by his family called 'Mikie's Minutes.'
References
- ↑ Hofstede, David (2004-10-01). What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History. Random House Digital, Inc. pp. 125–. ISBN 9780823084418. Retrieved 29 May 2012.