Joe Berlinger is a renowned filmmaker with a career spanning over three decades. He is an Academy Award-winning, eight-time Emmy nominated, and Peabody, DGA, and Sundance winning director.
Berlinger is the creator of several landmark documentaries, including Sundance winner BROTHER'S KEEPER, the PARADISE LOST Trilogy, which helped lead to the release of the West Memphis Three, and METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER, which redefined the rockumentary genre.
His documentary CRUDE, which examined the issue of oil pollution in the Amazon Rainforest, won 22 human rights, environmental, and film festival awards and triggered a high-profile First Amendment battle with the Chevron Corporation.
Berlinger has also received multiple awards from the Directors Guild of America, the National Board of Review, the Independent Spirit Awards, and the Critics' Choice Awards.
He is described as a "true crime hit factory" for Netflix, whose work has "redefined crime documentaries as a vehicle for social justice". His work has often catalyzed real-world change, directly inspiring justice reform efforts and recognition on state and national levels.
Berlinger's documentaries have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, with three earning Grand Jury Prize nominations. He has also worked with Netflix to create numerous documentary series, including CONVERSATIONS WITH A KILLER: THE TED BUNDY TAPES and EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL, AND VILE.
His most recent series, HITLER AND THE NAZIS: EVIL ON TRIAL, debuted as the Top 6 most-watched series globally on Netflix and ignited a global conversation about the current threats to democracy in the United States and abroad.
Berlinger's work has been recognized by his peers, with Adam Del Deo, VP for original documentary series at Netflix, stating that he is "the gold standard in true crime. The moral compass that he has, the sense of responsibility he has for victims and for getting the story right and shining a light on it, that is something that is very unique".
Berlinger has also received praise from death penalty abolitionist Sister Helen Prejean, who commented that "There is no other documentarian who has consistently been more focused and more effective in using film to pursue the plight of the wrongfully convicted. His work has helped get six people out of prison and has advanced the causes of many other pending cases, including Glossip's".
Berlinger's documentary INTENT TO DESTROY was screened for US lawmakers, playing a critical role in the United States Congress finally acknowledging the Armenian Genocide in 2019 after a century of Turkish denial.
Berlinger holds a streak of chart-topping work on Netflix, attracting enormous audiences with 16 Netflix productions under his belt that have all debuted in the Netflix Top Ten, often at #1.
