About MARILYN

Marilyn Ness is a two-time Emmy, Peabody, and DuPont Award-winning documentary director and producer. As director, Ness is interested in complex, social justice stories from multiple viewpoints. She directed CHARM CITY, an observational documentary exploring the divide between police and citizens, premiering at Tribeca 2018, shortlisted for the 2019 Academy Award®, broadcast on PBS’ Independent Lens, and nominated for an Emmy Award®. Her directorial debut, BAD BLOOD, broadcast on PBS in 2011, chronicles the anatomy of a medical disaster from the perspective of survivors, the medical community, and the pharmaceutical companies responsible. She is currently at work on POSTMORTEM, a personal, interdisciplinary theater and documentary project. 

As a former partner in the woman-owned and led documentary company, Big Mouth Productions, Ness supports women, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and emerging directors. Ness produced Kirsten Johnson’s groundbreaking films DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD and CAMERAPERSON, Netflix’s BECOMING about Michelle Obama, (dir. Hallgren); Independent Lens’ TRAPPED (dir. Porter) and Netflix’s E-TEAM (dir. Chevigny & Kauffman), and most recently Jamie Boyle’s ANONYMOUS SISTER and Max Lowe’s short film CAMP COURAGE. Altogether her films won four Sundance Jury Prizes, were nominated for ten Primetime/Documentary Emmy’s, and were shortlisted for the Academy Awards four times.

Marilyn was an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s MFA Film Program teaching Producing Documentaries. Marilyn is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.