Charles Ferguson

Charles Ferguson (born April 26, 1955) is an American documentary filmmaker, producer, screenwriter, and former investment banker best known for his incisive examinations of financial and political systems. After earning a bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School, Ferguson entered the world of high‑technology entrepreneurship, co‑founding Vermeer Technologies in 1995, the company behind the groundbreaking web‑designer FrontPage that Microsoft acquired for $133 million in 1996. The sale provided him the financial freedom to pursue his longtime passion for filmmaking, leading him to study documentary production and eventually to form Zero Day Productions, the vehicle for his award‑winning works. His debut feature, The War Room (1993), chronicled Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature, establishing Ferguson as a powerful storyteller with a keen eye for political nuance. He followed this success with No End in Sight (2007), a harrowing analysis of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, and Inside Job (2010), an unflinching indictment of the global financial crisis that won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2011 and cemented his reputation as a leading voice on economic accountability. Ferguson’s films are characterized by meticulous research, compelling interviews, and a narrative style that blends investigative journalism with cinematic drama, often featuring narration by notable actors such as Matt Damon. Beyond the screen, he remains an active public speaker and advocate for transparency in finance and governance, contributing essays to major publications and testifying before Congressional committees. His continued work, including the forthcoming documentary The New Great Depression, reflects an enduring commitment to illuminating the forces that shape contemporary society.