Marek Ryszard Dojs, Founding Member, Educator/Filmmaker
Marek describes himself as a British Pole who was raised in the United States in a very English community. He is the chair of the Communications Program at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND, where he has been teaching since 2014.
As an artist and professor, his time is split between producing creative work and guiding students in their own storytelling through digital cinema. For his creative endeavors, he works in multiple modes but finds the most fulfillment in nonfiction film — wanting to make films with purpose and deeper meaning. He is interested in the subjects of history, identity, and memory.
His short poetic nonfiction film, Return to Stolowicze (2008), has been screened internationally at several film festivals and was included in the 20th season of "The Territory,” the longest-running PBS showcase for independent short film. His recent fiction shorts, The Good Father (2015) and You Beautiful Crazy Blind Cripple (2016), have been screened at film festivals across the United States and Britain.
Marek earned his M.F.A. from the University of North Texas in Denton and a B.A. in History and Communications from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. A lifelong supporter of Chelsea Football Club, he is married to his wife, Madeline, and they have nine children.