Rory Kennedy

One of the most active independent documentary filmmakers in the United States, Emmy-Award winner Rory Kennedy has addressed a broad spectrum of social issues through her extensive oeuvre, including poverty, political corruption, domestic abuse, drug addiction, human rights, AIDS, and mental illness. Kennedy's documentaries, which exceed 25 in number, have earned her numerous accolades. These works have been showcased on a variety of platforms including HBO, PBS, Lifetime Television, A&E, Court TV, The Oxygen Network, and The Learning Channel.

Kennedy's recent works include producing "Killing in the Name," which garnered a nomination for the 2011 Academy Award for Documentary Short and won the 2010 LA Shorts Fest. Her earlier documentary, "The Fence (La Barda)," investigated the impact of a $3 billion border fence designed to curb illegal immigration in the U.S. and premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival's opening night. She also directed “Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House” for HBO and produced "Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech" which was an entry in the 2009 Sundance Festival. Her film "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib" not only premiered at Sundance in 2007 but also won the Primetime Emmy Award for Best Documentary that year.

Kennedy's other notable projects include the Emmy-nominated series “Pandemic: Facing AIDS” for HBO and “A Boy’s Life,” which earned the Best Documentary prize at the Woodstock Film Festival and later aired on HBO. Her 2004 documentary, “Indian Point: Imagining the Unimaginable,” examines the potential disaster at Indian Point Nuclear Energy Center and was also broadcast on HBO. Her career in documentary filmmaking was catapulted with the premiere of "American Hollow" in 1999 at Sundance, marking the start of her acclaimed and prolific journey in the field.

Kennedy's influence extends beyond filmmaking. She is a dedicated social activist and human rights advocate, serving on the boards of several non-profits such as the Legal Action Center and the Project Return Foundation. She actively participated in the 1999 Presidential Mission on AIDS in Africa and contributed to educational initiatives between the U.S. and Namibia. Kennedy is also known for her engaging public speaking skills, having supported various political campaigns and educational outreach programs.

A graduate of Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies, Kennedy co-founded Moxie Firecracker Productions in New York with fellow documentary filmmaker Liz Garbus. She currently resides in Los Angeles and Brooklyn, continuing to influence and inspire through her films and advocacy work.