David Breashears was born in Fort Benning, George in 1955. Now a world-class filmmaker, adventurer and mountaineer, David Breashears has combined his skills in climbing and filmmaking to become one of the world’s most acclaimed adventure filmmakers. Few have taken a path as creative or adventurous as Breashears, a mountaineer’s mountaineer whose work has taken him to remote locations throughout China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and East Africa.
In the spring of 1996, he co-directed, photographed and co-produced the first-ever large-format film on Mt. Everest. When the now infamous blizzard of May 10, 1996, hit Mt. Everest, killing several climbers, Breashears and his team were in the midst of making their historic film. In the tragedy that soon followed, Breashears and his team stopped filming to assist several of the stranded climbers to safety. He and his expedition members were later recognized as heroes for their courageous efforts. Breashears and his team then regrouped and climbed to the summit on May 23, 1996, achieving their goal of becoming the first to obtain large-format film images from the top of the world.
Over the past 30 years, Breashears has worked on more than 38 film projects, ranging from features to music videos. His film credits include Seven Years in Tibet (1996), Ice Princess (1995) Cliffhanger (1993), a National Geographic Explorer film shot in Peru, as well as the Telluride Mountain Film Festival Grand Documentary Prize-winning Red Flag over Tibet. In 1983 he transmitted the first live pictures from the summit of Mount Everest and in 1985 became the first American to twice reach its summit.
He is the recipient of four Emmy awards for achievement in cinematography. Everest: Mountain Without Mercy.
In 1997 he co-produced and photographed Everest: The Death Zone for the PBS science series NOVA, marking his fourth ascent of the world's highest mountain.
Breashears published a memoir, High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places, in April 1999.
When not climbing, David Breashears calls Boston his home.