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Joe Berlinger Biography

Birth Name:Joseph A. Berlinger

Birth Place:Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States

Profession Producer, Director, Camera department, Writer, Actor, Editor, Cinematographer

Fast Facts

Has received a Peabody Award
Has served on the advisory board of Rehabilitation Through the Arts
Has served on the board of the nonprofit organization Proclaim Justice
Is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America and the National Board of Review
Graduated from Colgate University in 1983
Well known for his work on documentaries that deal with the topic of social justice
Has produced articles for a variety of publications, including "The New York Times," ArtForum and Aperture magazines

Awards

1992Silver Hugo-Best Documentary Feature: winner
1992Joris Ivens Award-: winner
1992NBR Award-Best Documentary: winner
1992Audience Award-Documentary: winner
1992Grand Jury Prize-Documentary: nominated
1993DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary/Actuality: winner
1993Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize-: nominated
1996Audience Award-Best Documentary Feature: winner
1996Special Jury Award-Directorial Achievement: winner
1996LAFCA Award-Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film: nominated
1996NBR Award-Best Documentary: winner
1996Grand Jury Prize-Documentary: nominated
1997DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary: nominated
1997Truer Than Fiction Award-: nominated
1997OFTA Film Award-Best Documentary Picture: nominated
1997Peabody Award-: winner
1997Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Informational Special: nominated
1997Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Informational Programming: winner
2000Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Non-Fiction Special: nominated
2000Stinker Award-Worst Sense of Direction (Stop them before they direct again!): nominated
2001Razzie Award-Worst Screenplay: nominated
2001Razzie Award-Worst Director: nominated
2004Audience Award for Best Documentary-: winner
2004IDA Award-Feature Documentaries: nominated
2004Audience Award-: winner
2004True Vision Award-Documentary: winner
2005Independent Spirit Award-Best Documentary: winner
2005Home Entertainment Award-Best Music DVD, Non-concert Release: winner
2006Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Nonfiction Series: winner
2007Silver Telly-TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces - Documentary: winner
2007Silver Telly-TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces - Documentary: winner
2008Silver Telly-TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces - Documentary: winner
2009Audience Award-Best Documentary: winner
2009Grand Jury Prize-Documentary: winner
2009Current Energy Filmmaker Award-: winner
2009IDA Award-Continuing Series: nominated
2009Jury Award-Shining Light Award: winner
2009Jury Award-Best Documentary Film: winner
2009Human Spirit Award-: winner
2009NBR Award-Top Five Documentaries: winner
2009Red Nation Film Award of Excellence-Best Documentary Feature: winner
2009Environmental Film Award-Audience Award: winner
2009Grand Jury Prize-Documentary: nominated
2009WWF Award-Best Documentary Film: winner
2010Cinema for Peace Award-International Green Film Award: winner
2010Golden Kahuna Award-Documentary - Feature-Length: winner
2011NBR Award-Best Documentary: winner
2011Achievement Award-Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking: Music: winner
2011Silver Telly-Documentary: Series: winner
2011Bronze Telly-TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces - Documentary: winner
2012Oscar-Best Documentary, Features: nominated
2012Banff Rockie Award-Investigative & Current Affairs Programs: nominated
2012Hell Yeah Prize-: winner
2012Cinema for Peace Award-Cinema for Peace Award for the Most Valuable Documentary of the Year: winner
2012DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary: nominated
2012Audience Award-Best International Film: winner
2012Image Award-Outstanding Variety Series or Special: winner
2012Grand Jury Prize-Knight Documentary Competition: nominated
2012Impact of Music Award-: winner
2012Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Nonfiction Special: nominated
2012Primetime Emmy-Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking: nominated
2012Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming: nominated
2012Audience Award-24 Beats Per Second: winner
2012Honorable Mention-Charles Guggenheim Symposium: winner
2012Silver Telly-TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces - Documentary: winner
2012Bronze Telly-TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces - Documentary: winner
2013Christopher Award-Television & Cable: winner
2013Grand Award-The Arts - Television - Documentary/Information Program: winner
2013Open Eyes Jury Award-: nominated
2013Bronze Telly-TV Programs, Segments - Sound/Sound Design: winner
2013Silver Telly-TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces - Documentary: winner
2014Cinema Eye Honors Award-The Influentials: winner
2014Grand Jury Prize-Knight Documentary Competition: nominated
2014Silver Telly-Editing: winner
2014Silver Telly-TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces - Documentary: winner
2014Bronze Telly-Editing: winner
2014Silver Telly-Documentary: winner
2015Golden Eagle-NONFICTION CONTENT / FEATURE - HISTORICAL EVENTS AND BIOGRAPHIES: nominated
2015Silver Telly-TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces - Documentary: winner
2015Bronze Telly-TV Programs/Segments: winner
2015Bronze Telly-TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces - Information: winner
2015Silver Telly-Documentary: winner
2016Jury Prize-Audience Choice Award: winner
2016Cinema Eye Honors Award-Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Filmmaking for Television: nominated
2016Grand Jury Prize-Best Documentary Feature: nominated
2017Best Documentary Film Award-: winner
201753rd Chicago International TV Award-Non-Fiction Program: winner
2017DOC LA Award-Best Documentary: winner
2017Pare Lorentz Award - Honorable Mention-: winner
2017Audience Choice Award-: winner
2017Best Documentary-: winner
2017Freedom of Expression-: winner
2017Silver Telly-TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces - Documentary: winner
2017Silver Telly-Documentary: Series: winner
2017Bronze Telly-Documentary: winner
2018Cinema for Peace Award-Cinema for Peace Award for Justice: nominated
2018Gold Telly-General Public Interest/Awareness: winner
2018Bronze Telly-General Social Responsibility: winner
2018Bronze Telly-General Documentary: Series: winner
2019Originator Award-: winner
2019Best American Independent Feature Film-: nominated
2019Real TV Award-Limited Documentary Series: nominated
2019Real TV Award-Crime/Justice Show: winner
2019National Film and Television Award-Best Horror/Thriller Film: nominated
2019Emmy-Outstanding Historical Documentary: nominated
2019Silver Telly-Public Interest/Awareness: winner
2020Real TV Award-Crime/Justice Show: winner
2020Realscreen Award-Non-Fiction - Archive-Based Program: winner
2021Real TV Award-Crime/Justice Show: nominated
2021Humanism in the Modern World-Documentary: winner
2021Gold Telly-Television: Series: Documentary: winner
2021Gold Telly-Television: Series: Documentary: winner
2021Gold Telly-Non-Broadcast: Sports: winner
2022Real TV Award-Best Limited Series: nominated
2022Realscreen Award-Non-Fiction - Crime & Investigation Program: nominated
2023Gold Telly-Best Documentary Series: winner
2023Gold Telly-Best Documentary Series: winner
2024IDA Award-Best Limited Series: nominated
2025Bronze Telly-Online Series: Documentary: winner
2025Bronze Telly-Online Series: Documentary: winner