about

Josh Zeman

Joshua Zeman is one of the leading voices in premium documentary storytelling. 

His critically acclaimed film, CROPSEY is considered one of the top true crime docs of all time. 

In 2017, Zeman EP’d and directed THE KILLING SEASON, an unscripted docu-series also EP’d by Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney. The series was the first to call attention to the then-unsolved Gilgo Beach murders, and Zeman’s investigative work led to several important breakthroughs in the case. Zeman also directed MURDER MOUNTAIN, a 6-part docu-series about the intersection of weed and murder for Netflix that’s been called “a must-watch” by Rolling Stone. 

In 2021, Zeman EP’d and directed THE SONS OF SAM. This docu-series, narrated by Oscar-winning actor Paul Giammati, was the #1 watched show on Netflix in the US and abroad during the week of its release. The same year, Zeman directed THE LONELIEST WHALE, a cinematic quest to find the 52 Hertz Whale, whom scientists believe has spent its entire life in solitude. The film, released by Bleecker Street and EP’d by Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for 3 Critics Choice Awards. The LA Times calls THE LONELIEST WHALE, “a modern-day Moby Dick" that “will keep you on the edge of your seat.”

Most recently, Zeman directed CHECKPOINT ZOO, which profiles the dramatic rescue of over 5,000 animals trapped behind the front lines in the Russian-Ukrainian War. The film premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, winning an Audience Award and garnering rave reviews. The Daily Beast has called the film, “a work of heart-stopping suspense and tenderness” and “one of the year’s most important films.” Checkpoint Zoo has since won audience awards at the Hamptons, Mill Valley, and Palm Springs Film Festivals.

On the narrative side, Zeman’s first screenplay, FRESH KILLS, was optioned by New Line and Forensic Films. Zeman has received a MacDowell Colony Fellowship and the San Francisco Film Society Screenwriting Award for his screenplay, COLLIDER. He also directed the short, THE BEST MAN FOR THE JOB, starring Joseph Sikora (POWER).

As a producer/co-producer, some of Zeman’s past narrative credits include THE STATION AGENT (Audience Award and Screenwriting Award, Sundance Film Festival), MYSTERIOUS SKIN (Venice Film Festival, nominated for IFP Gotham Award), THE HAWK IS DYING (Sundance Film Festival, Directors Fortnight, Cannes) and AGAINST THE CURRENT (Sundance Film Festival).