Brett (B.J.) Kuxhausen

I’m driven by storytelling. I believe a good story holds a positive power to spotlight the unseen and wounded, to heal by building bridges through cooperation and knowledge, to grow towards a more just world for all life during the age of the Anthropocene. Through documentary filmmaking and photography, I try to advocate for moral action and change in humanity’s evolving relationship with itself and the natural world, typically around stories of resilient lives and landscapes that are grounded in hope and that can reach and empower a broad audience across diverse platforms.

The Heartland of the American Midwest is where I learned to pay attention: to laughter around a card table at my grandparents’ farm, to the stories of a life well-lived at the mortuary where I worked as a teenager, and to the everyday rhythms of crops, communities, and critters that defined my home. Only after earning a BS in Biological Sciences with a focus on animal behavior, and later an MFA in Science and Natural History Filmmaking, did purpose fully present itself to me - to become a part of a rich storytelling tradition that is aligned with how I approach life itself.

I currently work as a filmmaker and photographer for the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), collaborating closely with conservation scientists, animal care professionals, and keepers to produce original visual stories that connect research, animal welfare, and public engagement. My work spans global and domestic conservation initiatives, including programs such as elephant conservation in Laos and Thailand; the Swift Fox, Black‑Footed Ferret, and Prairie Dog Project for the Great Plains Science Program; and grassland bird research for the Virginia Working Landscapes Program. In addition to fieldwork, I regularly produce content on site at the National Zoo, documenting the daily work of animal care teams as they support animal health, enrichment, training, and welfare. These stories - created for exhibits and the web - offer audiences an inside look at the expertise, dedication, and relationships that the Smithsonian - as the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex - can accomplish globally for wildlife conservation.

My professional accomplishments include an Emmy award, as well as many others for documentaries that I’ve shot and/or produced. My work spans projects with major broadcasters such as National Geographic, the BBC, and PBS, as well as collaborations with conservation organizations and NGOs such as Rainforest Trust, The Nature Conservancy, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Notably, I was lead cinematographer and field producer for Mozambique's flagship conservation area, Gorongosa National Park. There, I crafted feature-length films, television specials, and short-form videos for institutions such as National Geographic, PBS, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute/Tangled Bank Studios, and Mozambique national television. My photography and writing has been featured for clients such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Nature Conservancy, The Associated Press, African Geographic, Mongabay, and Nature scientific journal.