Jonathan Berman

Jonathan Berman is an American film producer, director, screenwriter, and academic. He is best known for his documentary work as producer and film director of The Shvitz, My Friend Paul (1999), Commune (2005), and Calling All Earthlings (2018). His non-fiction feature films explore subculture and identity, depicting how alternative people, groups and ideas are represented in media. Berman currently serves as a professor at California State University San Marcos.

Biography Jonathan Berman was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Merrick, New York. Berman graduated from McGill University in Montreal with a B.A. degree and received an M.F.A. from Bard College.

Filmmaking career His directorial debut, The Shvitz (1993) was a 16mm black and white documentary depicting traditions revolving around the steambaths once popular in the Eastern European enclaves in New York. The project was supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. It has been broadcast on networks worldwide, including US PBS, the Sundance Channel, Planète+, and Netflix. His fourth film, Calling All Earthlings (2018) examines California High Desert's UFO counterculture cult and Integratron, a structure near Landers, California built by George Van Tassel. The film gained critical acclaim from a number of media sources including Newsweek and the Boston Globe. Illuminate Film Festival (2018 Award Winner: Debut Feature Competition Jury Prize) 2006 Commune Producer/Writer Documentary 2002 Down to Earth Producer Documentary 2000 Maternity Ward Producer T.V. Series 2000 Sabbath in Paradise U.S Producer Documentary (Germany/USA) 1999 Final Rinse Associate producer Documentary 1999 On the Run Co-writer Film 1999 My Friend Paul Director/Producer/Writer Slamdance Film Festival (Grand Jury Prize Nominee) 1993 The Shvitz Director/Producer/Writer Documentary