Erin Lee Carr

Erin Lee Carr (born April 15, 1988 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American documentary filmmaker, writer, and producer celebrated for her fearless exploration of criminal justice and pop‑culture subjects. She first gained industry notice while interning at Fox Searchlight and later as a media assistant at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, before joining VICE Media where she rose to associate producer on the tech‑focused Motherboard platform. During her three‑year tenure at VICE she co‑produced the award‑winning documentary Free The Network and created several viral video series that examined everything from UFO sightings to 3‑D‑printed firearms, the latter earning a 2014 Webby Award. In 2013 she briefly worked for Vox’s The Verge, curating long‑form stories, and by the end of that year she had begun freelancing for HBO Documentary Films, a partnership that would define her career. Her HBO debut, Thought Crimes: The Case of the Cannibal Cop (2015), premiered at Tribeca and was a Cinema Eye Honors finalist, establishing her as a meticulous investigator of complex legal cases. Carr’s later HBO projects—including Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017), I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth vs. Michelle Carter (2019), and At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal (2019)—garnered critical acclaim and high viewership, solidifying her reputation for marrying narrative tension with social relevance. Transitioning to streaming platforms, she directed episodes of Netflix’s Dirty Money and the four‑part series How to Fix a Drug Scandal (2020), while also producing the high‑profile Britney vs. Spears documentary that sparked renewed debate over conservatorship abuse. In addition to her filmmaking, Carr authored the memoir All That You Leave Behind (2019), a candid account of her upbringing, her late father—renowned NYT columnist David Carr—and her own journey to sobriety. Openly queer and based in New York City, she continues to push boundaries with upcoming projects for Hulu, Netflix, and scripted series such as Murdaugh: Death in the Family, demonstrating a versatile command of both documentary and narrative formats. Recognized by Variety as one of the “10 Documakers to Watch” in 2015 and named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2018, Erin Lee Carr remains a pivotal voice shaping modern documentary storytelling.