Rob Epstein

Robert P. Epstein, born April 6, 1955, is a distinguished American director, producer, writer, and editor with a rich and varied career. He is a two-time recipient of prestigious Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature for his masterpieces The Times of Harvey Milk and Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt. In 1987, Epstein, in collaboration with his filmmaker partner Jeffrey Friedman, founded Telling Pictures, a production house deeply engaged in producing feature documentaries. Beyond conventional genres, Epstein's endeavor transcends into the realm of scripted narratives demonstrated in his films like Howl, a narrative about Allen Ginsberg's contentious poem bearing the same name (starring James Franco), and Lovelace, a film depicting the tumultuous life of pornographic superstar Linda Lovelace (starring Amanda Seyfried). His films are not merely meant to entertain, they explore potent narratives and express pressing real-world issues. At present, he is the co-chair of the Film Program at the California College of the Arts in both San Francisco and Oakland, California. His contribution to the world of cinema has been recognized with the Pioneer Award from the International Documentary Association (IDA) and the George Gund III Craft of Cinema Award.