Biography
Matthew Heineman is an acclaimed filmmaker, nominated for an Academy Award and honored with nine Emmy Awards and two Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards. The Sundance Film Festival has praised him as "one of the most talented and exciting documentary filmmakers working today," while Anne Thompson of IndieWire described him as a "respected and gifted filmmaker who combines gonzo fearlessness with empathetic sensitivity."
In 2019, Heineman earned a Directors Guild of America nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement for a First Time Feature Film Director for his narrative debut, A Private War. This achievement made him and Martin Scorsese the only filmmakers nominated for both narrative and documentary DGA Awards. A Private War stars Jamie Dornan, Tom Hollander, Stanley Tucci, and Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike portraying legendary war correspondent Marie Colvin. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to critical acclaim and was later released nationwide by Aviron Pictures. It was chosen as a New York Times Critics' Pick, with Variety calling it "Heineman's astonishing narrative debut" and "an incredibly sophisticated, psychologically immersive film." The movie also received two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress and Best Original Song.
Most recently, Heineman directed and executive produced The Savant, an original Apple TV+ series featuring Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain. This intense eight-part series follows an undercover investigator, known as "The Savant," as she infiltrates online hate groups to prevent domestic extremist acts.
His latest film, American Symphony, profiles Academy Award and Grammy-winning musician Jon Batiste. While composing an original symphony for Carnegie Hall and receiving 11 Grammy nominations at a career peak, Batiste’s life is upended when his partner, bestselling author Suleika Jaouad, learns her cancer has returned. This film explores two artists at a crossroads. Premiering at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival, it received acclaim from audiences and critics alike and was acquired by Netflix and Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground. Clayton Davis of Variety called it "quite possibly one of the best love stories seen on film in over two decades," and Daniel Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter described it as "a celebration of art, resilience and the mutability of the human spirit." American Symphony was shortlisted for an Academy Award, won the PGA Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures, and earned over 40 nominations including the BAFTA Film Award, Critics Choice Award, and NAACP Image Award. The film is available on Netflix.
Heineman previously directed and produced Retrograde, a documentary offering a cinematic and historical look at the end of America's two-decade war in Afghanistan, showcasing the sacrifices of those involved — from operational control rooms to frontlines and the chaotic Kabul airport during the U.S. withdrawal. The National Geographic Films feature premiered at the 2022 Telluride Film Festival to widespread acclaim. Retrograde was shortlisted for an Academy Award, nominated for DGA and PGA Awards, and received six Emmy nominations, winning Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary, Outstanding Cinematography, and Outstanding Editing. It also earned a Producing Award from DOC NYC and the Edward R. Murrow Award for Feature Documentary. The Wrap praised it as "a triumph of access and unbelievable bravery," while Salon called it "chilling," noting Heineman's signature cinema verité style elevated to new artistic heights. The Times described it as "hair-raising," highlighting Heineman's creation of some of the most beautiful images in documentary filmmaking today. After its theatrical release in November 2022, Retrograde aired on the National Geographic Channel in December and is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
Before Retrograde, Heineman directed, produced, shot, and edited The First Wave, a feature documentary capturing exclusive footage inside one of New York City's hardest-hit hospitals during the first four months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The First Wave received the International Documentary Association’s Pare Lorentz Award, was shortlisted for an Academy Award, and earned seven Emmy nominations, winning Best Documentary, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing. The film was a New York Times Critics' Pick and received praise from The Hollywood Reporter as a "masterfully crafted film" and Variety as "a courageous and astonishing cinematic time capsule." Released by National Geographic Documentary Films and NEON, it is available on Hulu.
Heineman also directed Amazon's The Boy From Medellin, an intimate portrait of international superstar J Balvin, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released by Amazon Studios. Additionally, he co-directed and executive produced the Emmy-winning two-part HBO documentary Tiger with Matthew Hamachek. Released in January 2021, it offers a revealing look at Tiger Woods’ rise, fall, and comeback.
Heineman directed and executive produced The Trade, a Showtime docu-series examining issues such as the opioid crisis and human trafficking through the eyes of those affected. The Hollywood Reporter described it as "a thriller... like Traffic only current and real," and The New York Times praised Heineman’s ability to gain access to hard-to-reach subjects and locations. Both seasons premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim and awards recognition, including Best Episodic Series at the 2018 IDA Awards for season one and two News & Documentary Emmy Awards for season two, including Outstanding Direction for Heineman.
His documentary City of Ghosts, following citizen-journalists exposing ISIS atrocities, premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and was distributed globally by Amazon Studios, with a broadcast premiere on A&E. Heineman won his second DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for this film, becoming one of only three directors to receive this honor twice. City of Ghosts also won the International Documentary Association’s Courage Under Fire Award for bravery in truth-telling and appeared on over 20 critics’ year-end Best Documentary lists in 2017. The film was nominated for BAFTA, PGA, IDA, and Primetime Emmy Awards.
Cartel Land, which examines vigilante groups confronting Mexican drug cartels, received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature and won three Primetime Emmy Awards, including Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking and Best Cinematography. It premiered in the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, where Heineman won Best Director and the Special Jury Prize for Cinematography. The film also received the Courage Under Fire Award, the DGA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Documentary, and the George Polk Award in Journalism. The Orchard released it theatrically nationwide, with its broadcast debut on A&E.
Earlier in his career, Heineman co-directed and produced the Emmy-nominated feature-length documentary Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare; collaborated for two years on the Emmy-nominated HBO series The Alzheimer's Project; and directed and produced Our Time, his first documentary exploring youth experiences in America.
In 2009, Heineman founded Our Time Projects, a New York-based production company responsible for producing many of his impactful films, including City of Ghosts and Retrograde. A 2005 graduate of Dartmouth College, Heineman lives in New York City.
26 wins and 39 nominations
