Chris Temple

Chris Temple is a film director, producer, and founder of Optimist, a two-time Emmy-nominated documentary studio based in Los Angeles. He has directed and produced over 15 documentary films that have been released by HBO, Netflix, Hulu, National Geographic and more. 

He has been recognized by HBO as a top “filmmaker under 40 to watch” and honored as a finalist for the DuPont Columbia award for outstanding journalism. His work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times, Variety, and The Atlantic. At Optimist, every project is designed not just to tell a story, but to drive real-world impact—shifting perspectives, mobilizing communities, and creating change. His work with Optimist has helped raise over $114 million for causes including financial empowerment, food access, and refugee support.

Most recently Chris executive produced Champions of the Golden Valley (Olympics 2025) alongside Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai. He also served as an Executive Producer on the Optimist feature documentary State of Firsts (Tribeca 2025), which follows the election of the first transgender member of congress. He’s now in production on several new films and series. You can find his full filmography on IMDB.