10 documentary filmmakers to follow in 2021

In current years, documentary filmmaker’s popularity is shooting up. It’s incredible to see the delighting stories of real characters and real events. Also, whether a documentary film is about giving a voice to the voiceless or exploring war, documentary filmmakers do magic. Thanks to the documentary filmmakers who make us see the life around us. The following list is just an attempt to shed influential documentary filmmakers. Here are 10 documentary filmmakers to follow in 2021.

#1 Michael Moore

Documentaries are a form of journalism- Michael Moore

Michael Francis Moore is a documentary superstar. The American filmmaker is also an author and activist whose work is mostly based on capitalism and globalization.

Often dressed in glasses and baseball caps, Moore spent his childhood in the suburb of Davison and we can see mentions of his hometown Michigan in his different films. The success of his first documentary “Roger and me” is one of the most controversial and popular American documentaries that talk about his depressing hometown and the consequences of the economic turndown. He introduced “Gonzo Journalism” (A style of journalism written including reporting as a first-person narrative) in documentary filmmaking.

On the 50th anniversary of Earth day, Moore and his friend Jeff Gibbs released a documentary “Planet of the Humans” that gives hard truths of green energy and also sends the message of hope.

Notable documentaries: Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)”, Capitalism: A Love Story (2009), Bowling for Columbine (20022)

#2 Robert Kenner

Robert Kenner is an American filmmaker, producer, and director. He has won various awards and critically applauded for his work on environmental and social issues. One of the highest-grossing theatrical documentaries “Food, Inc” sends a strong message about a sustainable food system, further stating that consumers have the power to change the system. His documentary did not only win awards and accolades. Moreover, it became influential to different food policy decisions. Likewise, he directed various specials for National Geographies, including commercials and corporate movies.

Notable films: Food, Inc (2008), Merchants of Doubt (2014), Command and Control (2016)

Robert Kenner is one of my favorite in 10 documentary filmmakers to follow in 2021.

#3 Michael Apted

“VISIONARY. The Noblest project in cinema history.”- Robert Ebert (on the “Up” Series)

Michael Apted is a prolific English film director of the century. 63 Up is Michael’s groundbreaking and award-winning documentary series. The first succession was aired in 1964 by a UK television program. He visits people since they were 7 that includes inspirational and insightful conversations. For 5 decades, audiences witnessed the growth of 14 different people with unique class differences in Britain. 63 Up is a masterpiece that reveals the beauty and pain that comes with living. On a whole, Apted’s documentary exhibits socially relevant themes, and his works in Hollywood portrays an unsatisfied intelligence that is not found in mainstream directors.

Notable Documentaries: Bing on the Night, The long way home (1988), 2006 FIFA World Cup(2006).

#4 Marcel Ophuls

Marcel Ophuls is a German-French director, who settled in France and later moved to the United States. His father was great director’ auteur Max Ophuls. He began his career as an actor, formerly served in an American Army. He states that he enjoyed American Military School than Hollywood school. But his groundbreaking filmography has gifted the nonfiction world with wonderful work. Pretty much a loner and shy in real life, but behind the camera he is a great interrogator and has a unique perspective of things.

He is 93 years old, but his inspiring work and enthusiasm are still worth following in 2021.

Notable Documentaries: The Sorrow and the City (1969), Hotel Terminus (1988), The Memory of Justice (1976).

#5 Liz Garbus

Elizabeth Garbus is an American documentary film director and a producer. She started her career early devoting herself to tell critical stories that didn’t turn out on the big screen. However, her success skyrocketed with her documentaries like “The Nazi Officer’s Wife”, and “Different Moms”. Through her documentaries, she represents the insider perspective of female voices. Later, she has been collaborating with other artists and co-directed “ I am Boricua, so you know!

The double Academy Award-nominated director and producer Liz is also a co-founder of Moxie Firecracker Films and an inspirational figure to follow in 2021.

Notable Documentaries: Different Moms (1999), Girlhood (2003), “What happened, Miss Simone? (2015) All In: The Fight for Democracy (2020)

#6 Asif Kapadia

Senna’ took five years, ‘Amy’ took three years. You try and say, ‘Look, there’s no deadline.’ That’s important. Just saying, ‘We’ve got to make the film. And once the film’s ready, it will be out there.- Asif Kapadia

Asif Kapadia is an acclaimed British filmmaker who reinvents the genre and given audiences with great documentaries like Amy and Senna. Before doing biographical documentaries, his fiction feature ‘The Warrior’ got lots of critical acclaims. His documentary that was based on Formula One driver “Ayrton Senna” won two BAFTA for the best documentary and best editing. Asif gave another Oscar-winning hit “Amy” depicting the biography of Amy Winehouse .

Kapadia directed a saga of Diego Maradona with 500 hours of unseen clips, , that charts the rise and fall of a football legend Diego Maradona.

He never figured Cinema in his childhood; he mentions in an interview that he never saw Star Wars. But now, he is the best at creating weirdly profound stories.

Notable Documentaries: The Sheep Thief (1997), Senna (2010), Diego Maradona (2019)

#7 Alex Gibny

Philip Alexander Gibny is an American Academy award-winning director and a prolific master in nonfiction filmmaking. Esquire magazine in 2010 said, “Gibney is becoming the most important documentarian of our time”. His documentary models are based on the testimony of different subjects and voice-over narration. He is quite spectacular at telling stories. For instance, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and Taxi to the Dark side (Academy winner) tells intense stories of webbed villains. Moreover, Alex stories have moral who says their characters and moments make him the storyteller.

Alex is also a president of Jigsaw productions that produces independent documentaries, films, and series.

Notable Documentaries: Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005), Taxi to the Dark side (2007), Catching Hell (2011), The inventor: Out of Blood in Silicon Valley (2019).

#8 James Marsh

James Marsh is a British filmmaker whose illustrious works have bagged various awards including BAFTA and EMMY’s. Likewise, he is also a celebrated director of different commercial campaigns like BBC and Coca Cola. Gone between both documentaries and dramas in his career, James finds a rich canvas in the reality. He says that he feels at home with real stories. Likewise, he has embraced documentary aesthetics in the classic gangster movies “King of Thieves”. The theory of Everything is a multi-award-winning biopic of Stephen Hawking released in 2014.

The documentary is based on narrative and says equally applicable to fictional filmmaking.

Notable Documentaries: A Man on Wire, Project Nim, Wisconsin Death Trip

#9 Roger Ross Williams

Roger William is a history-making director and a producer who is known for his storytelling talents. He is the first African American to win in directing and producing a film. He rose from a poor and sad childhood to become a history-making filmmaker and an activist. He is a man of dreams and inspirations and a sufferer of Dyslexia; his films give the profound message of daring to dream life and are based on autism, gay, or other disabilities stories. He has directed Music by Prudence, a story of a disabled girl living in Zimbabwe (where disability was considered witchcraft) who later became a bandleader and a songwriter.

His production company also produced a documentary series on Netflix. Also, he is actively engaged in a documentary filmmaking mentorship and funding program for African filmmakers. Follow him to see how passion and personal connection, dedication makes a great film.

Notable Documentaries: Music by Prudence (2010), God loved Uganda Life Animated (2016).

#10 Abigail Disney

Abigail Disney is a filmmaker and activist. An Emmy-winning documentarian, her works are based on social issues. She is also the CEO and president of Fork Films and works for advancing women’s roles in the public sector.

Her directorial debut “The Armor of Light” was premiered in 2015 that shows the story of a shooting victim and conveys the message of restoring ethical and moral questions gun violence in the United States. She is a granddaughter of Walt Disney. Having grown in a family of the greatest filmmaking family, she creates her own space of her unique identity.

Notable Documentaries: The Armor of Light, Pray the Devil Back to Hell.