Joe Gantz

Joe Gantz is a critically acclaimed documentary filmmaker in the United States. He and his brother, Harry Gantz, are the Emmy Award-winning producers/directors of Taxicab Confessions (1995), the long-running HBO documentary series, featuring real-life interactions between cab drivers and their passengers that has been broadcast for more than fifteen years. Known for examining personal relationships with honesty, humor and depth, Joe Gantz has a unique approach to capturing the most intimate moments in real people's lives. His first documentary film, "Couples Arguing" (1984) (a co-production with Channel 4) filmed couples in the midst of actual arguments filmed in progress in their own homes. The film was broadcast and distributed around the world and was honored at the Edinburgh Television Festival. He directed and co-produced the award-winning feature documentary film, American Winter (2013), about families struggling in the wake of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The film had a successful premiere on HBO in March 2013 and has screened in communities across the country as part of a nationwide outreach and engagement campaign to create impact and social change. Prior to making "American Winter", Joe and his brother executive-produced the CBS drama series, The Defenders (2010), starring Jim Belushi, based on a documentary pilot they created about the lives of two Las Vegas defense attorneys and the cases they defend. Joe recently completed two feature documentaries: Ending Disease (2020) is a film following scientists and their patients in the first FDA-approved clinical trials using stem cell and regenerative treatments to cure some of the most devastating diseases. The The Race to Save the World (2021) set to be released in 2021, follows the inspiring stories of regular people who are devoting their lives to fighting climate change. Joe has won an Emmy Award for Taxicab Confessions and was nominated four times. American Winter won the Sidney Award for excellence in journalism, and the Bending Towards Justice award. Joe was also short-listed for the Ridenhour prize which recognizes those who persevere in acts of truth-telling that protect the public interest or illuminate a more just vision of society.