photo by Peter Hove Olesen
George Motz is a well-traveled Emmy award-winning freelance filmmaker, author and photographer. He has also been called the ‘foremost authority on hamburgers’ by The New York Times, and ‘America’s biggest burger name’ by Eater LA. In the spring of 2004 Motz completed Hamburger America, his second documentary film which he shot, produced, edited, and directed. The film was nominated in 2006 for a James Beard Award and in 2011 was recognized by the US National Archives as an integral part of American food history. The film's success led to a state-by-state guide to hamburgers, also titled Hamburger America, a State-by-State Guide to Great Burger Joints. And in 2023, Abrams Books released a completely revised and updated version of his cookbook, The Great American Burger Book, available at booksellers everywhere. George can be seen on his YouTube show Burger Scholar Sessions on Complex Media’s First We Feast.
George is also the director and creator of the Food Film Festival in NYC, a multi-sensory series of events where the audience is treated to the food they see on the screen. In addition, George was the host and co-executive producer of Travel Channel's Burger Land which is based on his book Hamburger America. George is constantly on the road to do what he does best - spreading the word of burger around the globe through workshops, consultations and burger pop-ups. Look for George’s new restaurant Hamburger America, now open in the Soho neighborhood of NYC.