In 1960, film editor Hugh A. Robertson became the first African-American to join New York's Motion Picture Editors Union. Through the '60s, he worked on a number of big-name films. In 1969, he earned a British Academy award and an American Oscar nomination for his work on Midnight Cowboy. In 1972, Robertson made his only attempt as a director with Melinda. After that, he moved to Trinidad and began running a filmmaking school. He also directed a few documentaries, including Bim (1976).