Joshua Zeman is a renowned documentary filmmaker, celebrated for his distinctive and thought-provoking true crime and investigative storytelling. His 2009 film Cropsey is widely regarded as one of the most influential true crime documentaries of all time, masterfully blending elements of horror with real-life mystery.
Zeman has also directed several other critically acclaimed documentaries, including The Killing Season, a groundbreaking docuseries that shed new light on the Gilgo Beach murders, and Murder Mountain, a deeply unsettling exploration of the dark side of the marijuana industry. His 2021 series, The Sons of Sam, was the number one most-watched Netflix series at the time of its release, while his documentary The Loneliest Whale, produced by the acclaimed actor Leonardo DiCaprio, earned multiple Critics Choice Award nominations and was hailed as "a modern-day Moby Dick" by the Los Angeles Times.
Most recently, Zeman directed Checkpoint Zoo, a powerful and emotionally charged film that chronicles the evacuation of more than 5,000 animals from a war-torn zoo in Ukraine, which won the Audience Award at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival. Additionally, Zeman's narrative screenplay Fresh Kills has been optioned by New Line and Forensic Films, and his work has earned him numerous fellowships.
Throughout his career, Zeman has established himself as a versatile and accomplished filmmaker, with a reputation that spans both the documentary and narrative film worlds. His production credits include several acclaimed films, including The Station Agent and Mysterious Skin, solidifying his position as a leading voice in the industry.
