Dean Hamer
- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Dean Hamer is an Emmy Award winning filmmaker, New York Times Book of the Year author, and NIH scientist emeritus with a long history in communicating complex and controversial ideas to diverse publics. He formed Qwaves with partner Joe Wilson to produce insightful and provocative documentaries about often overlooked social issues. Their films have screened and won awards at film festivals across the world including Tribeca, Berlin and Toronto, viewed on PBS, Netflix, and international broadcasts, won support from Sundance, the Ford Foundation, ITVS and Pacific Islanders in Communications, and used as outreach and educational tools by a range of community and educational organizations.
Out in the Silence, the first feature film from Qwaves, premiered at Lincoln Center and became a highly visible model for the use of film for social activism. In 2011, Hamer and Wilson moved to the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii to begin work on a series of films about Pacific Islander issues and voices. Their features Kumu Hina and Leitis in Waiting opened the eyes of the world to the lessons to be learned from Polynesia's unique approach to gender and inclusion. Kapaemahu, based on a traditional story of four remarkable dual male and female-spirited Tahitians who brought the healing arts to Hawaii, expanded the reach of this effort through an Oscar-contending animated short film, PBS documentary, Penguin children's book, and an immersive exhibition at the Bishop Museum.
In addition to his film work, Hamer is the author of several best selling nonfiction books including The Science of Desire and The God Gene, a consultant for the BBC and Discovery channels, and a sought-after lecturer and guest on TV documentaries and news shows including Nightline and Oprah.
Out in the Silence, the first feature film from Qwaves, premiered at Lincoln Center and became a highly visible model for the use of film for social activism. In 2011, Hamer and Wilson moved to the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii to begin work on a series of films about Pacific Islander issues and voices. Their features Kumu Hina and Leitis in Waiting opened the eyes of the world to the lessons to be learned from Polynesia's unique approach to gender and inclusion. Kapaemahu, based on a traditional story of four remarkable dual male and female-spirited Tahitians who brought the healing arts to Hawaii, expanded the reach of this effort through an Oscar-contending animated short film, PBS documentary, Penguin children's book, and an immersive exhibition at the Bishop Museum.
In addition to his film work, Hamer is the author of several best selling nonfiction books including The Science of Desire and The God Gene, a consultant for the BBC and Discovery channels, and a sought-after lecturer and guest on TV documentaries and news shows including Nightline and Oprah.
