Joshua Zeman is a leading voice in documentary storytelling. His film CROPSEY is one of the top true crime documentaries of all time. Zeman EP’d and directed THE KILLING SEASON for A&E, a docu-series EP’d by Alex Gibney; MURDER MOUNTAIN, a 6-part docu-series for Netflix; and THE SONS OF SAM, Netflix’s most-watched show the week it premiered. He also directed the documentary features THE LONELIEST WHALE, EP’d by Adrian Grenier and Leonardo DiCaprio and released by Bleecker Street, and CHECKPOINT ZOO, also EP’d by DiCaprio, which has won numerous awards at Tribeca, Palm Springs, and other film festivals.
Please List the Title of Your Film at BIFF 2025
Checkpoint Zoo
What was your first experience with film and how did it influence your first project?
Probably watching Apocalypse Now and learning about the lore behind that film and realizing that what goes on behind the scenes of a movie can be just as compelling as what’s on screen. That resonated with me when making Cropsey. I was trying to make that film as a narrative but realized I could shift my perspective to make it as a documentary.
Who is (are) your favorite filmmakers?
William Friedkin and David Fincher.
What are you working on that no one knows about?
A documentary about a real life killer who appears in THE EXORCIST that inspired CRUISING.
Who would play you in a movie? What’s your go to movie snack? What’s the film title that best describes your life?
I’d be played by Donald Sutherland (specifically in Invasion of the Body Snatchers), Elliot Gould (Long Goodbye), or Christian Slater from Pump up the Volume (I wish).
My go-to movie snack is either Twizzlers or Skittles.
The film title that best describes my life is either “A Hard Day’s Night” or “After Hours”.
