Karen Schmeer


Karen Schmeer was a film editor who frequently collaborated with filmmaker Errol Morris.

Early life and education

Schmeer was born in Portland, Oregon. She was the daughter of Michael Schmeer and Eleanor DuBois, as well as the granddaughter of photographer Ray Atkeson.
In 1988, Schmeer graduated from Portland's Lincoln High School. In 1992 she graduated from Boston University with a degree in anthropology.

Career

The year she graduated from college she was hired for an unpaid internship with Errol Morris. Schmeer edited a number of his films, including The Fog of War, a 2004 portrait of Robert S. McNamara that was nominated for an Eddie award and Fast, Cheap and Out of Control. She also edited Sergio, a 2009 film by Greg Barker about Sergio Vieira de Mello. Schmeer won the award for best documentary film editing at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival for Sergio. Other work included editing Sydney Pollack's 2005 documentary, Sketches of Frank Gehry.

Death

Schmeer was killed on the evening of January 29, 2010, in a hit-and-run as she was crossing New York City's Broadway Street at 90th Street. The car that struck her was the getaway car for the robbery of a nearby pharmacy.

Posthumous tributes

The Karen Schmeer Award for Excellence in Documentary Editing is awarded by the Independent Film Festival Boston.
The Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship, created in 2010, is awarded annually.

Awards