I make documentaries about the interplay between personal stories and the larger social forces that shape people’s lives but often remain invisible or unexamined. My work clusters around themes of the city (New York, in particular) and issues of mental health – both of which have shaped my own life. I believe in the creative power of collaboration, and in being open to new ideas and frameworks while retaining a commitment to equity and social justice.

My films have been broadcast on POV, America ReFramed and HBO. They have been shown in festivals including the Tribeca Film Festival, Sundance, Slamdance, Rotterdam and the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. I have received funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation, ITVS, the New York State Council on the Arts, and others. I have been a Rockwood JustFilms Fellow, and I received the George Stoney Award for Excellence in Documentary from the University Film and Video Association. From 2015 to 2017, I was the co-chair of the filmmaker-owned distribution cooperative New Day Films.

For 30 years, I have found a home at Hunter College of the City University of New York. I currently am a Professor and Chair of the Department of Film and Media Studies, and faculty in the department’s Integrated Media Arts (IMA) MFA program.

I live in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, with my partner Jay and my son Elliot.