Elizabeth Freya Garbus (born April 11, 1970) is an American

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

director and producer. Notable documentaries Garbus has made are '' The Farm: Angola, USA,'' ''

Ghosts of Abu Ghraib ''Ghosts of Abu Ghraib'' is a 2007 documentary film, directed by Rory Kennedy, that examines the events of the 2004 Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal. The film premiered January 19, 2007, at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. The film a ...

,'' ''

Bobby Fischer Against the World ''Bobby Fischer Against the World'' is a documentary feature film that explores the life of chess Grandmaster and 11th World Champion Bobby Fischer. It incorporates interviews with chess players Anthony Saidy, Larry Evans, Sam Sloan, Susan Pol ...

,'' ''

Love, Marilyn ''Love, Marilyn'' is a 2012 American documentary film about Marilyn Monroe's writings directed by Liz Garbus and produced by Stanley F. Buchthal, Garbus, and Amy Hobby. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12 ...

,'' ''

What Happened, Miss Simone? ''What Happened, Miss Simone?'' is a 2015 American biographical documentary film about Nina Simone directed by Liz Garbus. The film opened the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. The screening was followed by a tribute performance by John Legend. The fi ...

,'' and ''

Becoming Cousteau ''Becoming Cousteau'' is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Liz Garbus. It follows the life and career of Jacques Cousteau. It premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2021, and was released on October 22, ...

.'' She is co-founder and co-director of the New York City-based

production company, The Story Syndicate.

Early life and education

Garbus grew up in New York City. She is the daughter of civil rights attorney

Martin Garbus Martin Garbus (born August 8, 1934) is an American attorney. He has argued cases throughout the country involving constitutional, criminal, copyright, and intellectual property law. He has appeared before the United States Supreme Court, as well ...

and writer, therapist, and social worker Ruth Meitin Garbus. Her family is Jewish. In 1992, Garbus graduated

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

with a bachelor's degree in history and

semiotics Semiotics (also called semiotic studies) is the systematic study of sign processes ( semiosis) and meaning making. Semiosis is any activity, conduct, or process that involves signs, where a sign is defined as anything that communicates something ...

from

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

Career

While in high school, Garbus made a documentary about students' last day of school. Then while at Brown she took classes in video production. After college, Garbus worked as an intern at

Miramax Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California. It was initially a leadi ...

, eventually getting a job working for filmmaker

Jonathan Stack Jonathan David Stack (born June 2, 1957) is an American documentary filmmaker. He is also a co-founder of World Vasectomy Day. Biography Born in New York City to a teacher and worker, Jonathan spent much of his childhood exploring. He took an ea ...

. In 1998, '' The Farm: Angola, USA'', which she co-directed with

, was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

. The film garnered multiple awards including the

Sundance Grand Jury Prize This is a list of films that won awards at the American Sundance Film Festival. __NOTOC__ 1980s 1984 * Grand Jury Prize Dramatic – ''Old Enough'' * Grand Jury Prize Documentary – ''Style Wars'' *Honorable Mention Documentary – '' Seeing R ...

and two

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

awards. In 1998, she co-founded an independent documentary production company, Moxie Firecracker Films, with fellow

alumna

Rory Kennedy Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy (born December 12, 1968) is an American documentary filmmaker who is the eleventh and youngest child of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel. Kennedy has made documentary films that center on social is ...

. The company name is a combination of each woman's previously separate production companies: Kennedy's company was called Moxie and Garbus’ company was called Firecracker. In 2002, Garbus' film ''

The Execution of Wanda Jean ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' was shown at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

. In 2003, Garbus directed ''

The Nazi Officer's Wife ''The Nazi Officer's Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived the Holocaust'' is a 1999 autobiography by Austrian-born Edith Hahn-Beer. Written with the help of Susan Dworkin, the book's first edition was published by Rob Weibach Books and William M ...

'', which was narrated by Susan Sarandon and

Julia Ormond Julia Karin Ormond (born 4 January 1965) is an English actress. She rose to prominence by appearing in ''The Baby of Mâcon'' (1993), '' Legends of the Fall'' (1994), ''First Knight'' (1995), ''Sabrina'' (1995), '' Smilla's Sense of Snow'' (199 ...

. In 2005, Garbus collaborated with partner

to executive-produce ''Street Fight'' about the 2002 Newark mayoral election; it was nominated for an Academy Award. In 2006, the pair worked with actress

Rosie Perez Rosa Perez (born September 6, 1964) is an American actress, choreographer, dancer, and activist. Her breakthrough came with her portrayal of Tina in the film ''Do the Right Thing'' (1989), followed by ''White Men Can't Jump'' (1992). Perez's perf ...

to produce her film '' Yo Soy Boricua''. In 2007, Garbus' film ''

'' premiered at Sundance and won an

for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special of 2007. In 2007, Garbus directed the film ''Coma'', which aired on

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

in July of that year. The film follows four brain-injured patients receiving treatment at the JFK-Johnson Medical Facility in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. In 2009, Garbus’s film, '' Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech'' (HBO) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2011, ''There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane'' was chosen to be a part of HBO’s Documentary Films Summer Series. In 2011, Garbus directed ''

'', which chronicled the great Cold War showdown between

Bobby Fischer Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943January 17, 2008) was an American chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he won his first of a record eight US Championships at the age of 14. In 1964, he won with an 11� ...

and

Boris Spassky Boris Vasilievich Spassky ( rus, Бори́с Васи́льевич Спа́сский, Borís Vasíl'yevich Spásskiy; born January 30, 1937) is a Russian chess grandmaster who was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969 ...

in 1972. The film premiered on

and opened the Premiere Documentary Section of the

. ''

'', opened the documentary section of the 2011

, reserved for master American documentary filmmakers. In 2011, Garbus was nominated a second time for an

, for her film ''

Killing in the Name "Killing in the Name" is a protest song by American rock band Rage Against the Machine, and appears on their 1992 self-titled debut album. It was released as the lead single from the album in November 1992. It features heavy drop-D guitar riff ...

'', which she produced with her producing partner

. Garbus' 2012 film, ''

'' featured Elizabeth Banks, Ellen Burstyn,

Glenn Close Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards ...

, Viola Davis, Jennifer Ehle,

Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' An ...

, Lili Taylor, Uma Thurman, Marisa Tomei,

Evan Rachel Wood Evan Rachel Wood (born September 7, 1987) is an American actress and activist. She is the recipient of a Critics' Choice Television Award as well as three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations for her work in ...

and others reading from Monroe’s never-before-seen private writings. The film opened as a Gala Premiere at the 2012

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

and was acquired by HBO for a 2013 debut. ''

'', internationally opened as a Gala Premiere at the 2012

and aired on

summer of 2013. In 2014, ''A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY'', which Garbus directed and produced, premiered on

and featured first-hand accounts of veteran firefighters and interviews conducted by former FDNY member

Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi ( ,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself, some may insist that his pronunciation of his own name is "wrong" because it does not match the original Italian pronunciation as well. It is not uncommon for people to pronou ...

. In 2015, she directed ''

'' a documentary about the singer Nina Simone. ''

'' was the opening night film for

, it was nominated for an

for Best Documentary Feature 2015, a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

for Best Music Film 2015, and Garbus was nominated for a

DGA Award The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D. W. Griffith. The statues are made by New York firm, Society Awards. Categ ...

for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary. The film was released by

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

on June 26, 2015. It won an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for Outstanding Documentary. In January 2018, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' announced that Garbus and a documentary crew had been "basically living in the...newsroom since Inauguration Day

ith The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is immediatel ...

full access to the Russia investigation and much more." The completed work called '' The Fourth Estate'' aired on

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

in May 2018. In May 2018, HBO premiered Garbus' documentary, ''A Dangerous Son,'' which portrays three families as they deal with severe mental illness of three different children, and their efforts to get treatment and navigate the health care system. In September 2020, Garbus released All In: The Fight for Democracy, a

about voting rights in the United States starring voting rights activist Stacey Abrams and featuring other American politicians including former

United States Attorney General The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

Eric Holder and then-Representative

Marcia Fudge Marcia Louise Fudge (born October 29, 1952) is an American attorney and politician serving as the 18th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, United States secretary of housing and urban development since 2021. A member of the D ...

. In 2021 Garbus released "Becoming Cousteau" with National Geographic Films.

Personal life

Garbus is married to film producer Dan Cogan. They have a daughter, Amelia, and a son, Theodore.

Filmography

Works and publications

* *

Selected honors and awards

Open Society Open society (french: société ouverte) is a term coined by French philosopher Henri Bergson in 1932, and describes a dynamic system inclined to moral universalism.Thomas Mautner (2005), 2nd ed. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy'' Open so ...

's Center on Crime, Communities, and Culture, Fellow * 1998:

, Documentary, Grand Jury Prize for '' The Farm: Angola, USA'' with

– tied with ''

Frat House North American fraternity and sorority housing refers largely to the houses or housing areas in which fraternity and sorority members live and work together. In addition to serving as housing, fraternity and sorority housing may also serve to ...

'' * 1998: L.A. Film Critics Association Awards, Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film for '' The Farm: Angola, USA'' with

* 1998:

New York Film Critics Circle Awards The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) is an American film critic organization founded in 1935 by Wanda Hale from the New York ''Daily News''. Its membership includes over 30 film critics from New York-based daily and weekly newspapers, magazi ...

, Best Non-Fiction Film for '' The Farm: Angola, USA'' with

* 1999:

, Outstanding Non-Fiction Special (nominee) for '' The Farm: Angola, USA'' with

, Gayle Gilman, Michael Cascio * 1999:

, Best Documentary, Feature (nominee) for '' The Farm: Angola, USA'' with

* 2002:

, Documentary, Grand Jury Prize (nominee) for ''

'' * 2003: SXSW Film Festival, Documentary Feature, Audience Award for ''Girlhood'' * 2006:

, Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story - Long Form (nominee) for ''

P.O.V. ''POV'' (also written ''P.O.V.'') is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) public television series which features independent nonfiction films. ''POV'' is an initialism for ''point of view''. ''POV'' is the longest-running showcase on television ...

'' '' Street Fight'' with

, Cara Mertes, Sally Jo Fifer,

Marshall Curry Marshall Curry (born ) is an Oscar-winning American documentary film, documentary director, producer, cinematographer and editor. His films include ''Street Fight (film), Street Fight'', ''Racing Dreams'', ''If a Tree Falls, If a Tree Falls: A ...

* 2007:

, Outstanding Non-Fiction Special for ''

'' with

, Jack Youngelson, Diana Barrett, Sheila Nevins, Nancy Abraham * 2009:

, Documentary, Grand Jury Prize (nominee) for '' Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech'' * 2012:

, Outstanding Non-Fiction Special (nominee) for ''

'' with Sheila Nevins, Dan Cogan, Stanley F. Buchthal,

, Matthew Justus, Nancy Abraham * 2015:

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

for ''

'' * 2016: Directors Guild of America Award, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary (nominee) for ''

'' * 2016:

, Outstanding Non-Fiction Special for ''

'' with Sidney Beaumont,

Amy Hobby Amy Hobby is an American film producer. She is best known for producing documentary ''What Happened, Miss Simone?'' that earned her Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature nomination at 88th Academy Awards and Grammy Award for Best Music Film at ...

Justin Wilkes Justin Wilkes is a film and television producer. Best known for producing documentary ''What Happened, Miss Simone?'' that earned him Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature nomination at 88th Academy Awards with co-producer Amy Hobby and direct ...

, Jayson Jackson * 2016:

, Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming (nominee) for ''

'' * 2016:

, Best Documentary, Feature (nominee) for ''

'' with

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Garbus, Liz 1970 births Living people Brown University alumni American documentary film directors Place of birth missing (living people) 20th-century American Jews American documentary film producers American film producers American women documentary filmmakers American women television directors American television directors 21st-century American Jews 20th-century American women 21st-century American women