| Birth Date: | 6 April 1955[1] |
| Birth Place: | New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 1978 - present |
| Birth Name: | Robert P. Epstein |
| Occupation: | Film director and producer |
| Awards: | Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature 1984 The Times of Harvey Milk 1989 Emmy Award for "The Celluloid Closet" Pioneer Award from the International Documentary Association (IDA) George Gund III Craft of Cinema Award |
Robert P. Epstein (born April 6, 1955), is an American director, producer, writer, and editor. He has won two Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature, for the films The Times of Harvey Milk and .[2] [3]
In 1987, Epstein and his filmmaking partner Jeffrey Friedman founded Telling Pictures, a production company that focused on feature documentaries.[4] Epstein's works also include scripted narratives such as Howl, his award-winning film about Allen Ginsberg's controversial poem by the same name (starring James Franco), and Lovelace, the story about the life and trials of pornographic superstar Linda Lovelace (starring Amanda Seyfried).
Epstein is the co-chair of the Film Program at California College of the Arts in San Francisco and Oakland, California. He is gay.[5]
| Film | Year | Role(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | director | ||
| The Times of Harvey Milk | 1984 | director, producer, editor | Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Interview/Interviewer - Programs Peabody Award |
| The AIDS Show | 1986 | director, producer | |
| 1989 | director, producer, editor | Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Peabody Award | |
| Where Are We? Our Trip Through America | 1989 | director, producer | |
| The Celluloid Closet | 1995 | director, producer, writer | News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Directors Peabody Award Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Special |
| Paragraph 175 | 2000 | director, producer | Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature Nominated—News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Direction Nominated—News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Documentary - Long Form |
| Underground Zero (segment "Isaiah's Rap") | 2002 | director | |
| Crime & Punishment | 2002-2004 | director | |
| An Evening with Eddie Gomez | 2005 | director | |
| 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America "Gold Rush" | 2006 | director | |
| Howl | 2010 | director, writer | |
| Lovelace | 2013 | director | |
| And the Oscar Goes to...[6] | 2014 | director, writer, producer | |
| End Game | 2018 | director, producer, editor | Nominated—Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) |
| State of Pride | 2019 | director, writer | |
| 2019 | director, producer | Grammy Award for Best Music Film | |
| Taylor Mac's A 24-Decade History of Popular Music | 2023 | director |