Lance Oppenheim

Lance Oppenheim (born January 26, 1996) is an American filmmaker, documentarian, and producer. His work blends nonfiction storytelling with heightened, cinematic formalism. Oppenheim has received critical acclaim for his films Some Kind of Heaven and Spermworld (2024). He is also known for creating the HBO documentary series Ren Faire (2024).

Life Oppenheim was born in Hollywood, Florida, the son of Roy and Ellen Oppenheim, and raised in Weston, Florida. He attended Pine Crest School from 2010 to 2014. He graduated from Harvard University in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in visual and environmental studies. At Harvard, Oppenheim studied under filmmakers Ross McElwee, Robb Moss, and Guy Maddin, and lived in Adams House.

Career In high school, Oppenheim directed several short documentaries, one of which PBS distributed nationwide. He sent documentary pitches to the New York Times Op-Docs' open submission portal, documenting "crazy things happening in [his] backyard", which the Times would "politely reject." While in college, Oppenheim directed three short documentaries acquired and distributed by The New York Times Op-Docs. His short The Happiest Guy in the World, about long-term cruise passenger Mario Salcedo, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018.

Oppenheim directed and produced his debut feature, Some Kind of Heaven, a documentary exploring life inside The Villages, Florida, as part of his undergraduate senior thesis. In it, he follows four people living in The Villages and how they cope with later adult life. The film was produced by filmmaker Darren Aronofsky and The New York Times as one of the paper's first feature-length productions. It premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and International Film Festival Rotterdam to critical acclaim and was later acquired by Magnolia Pictures. In 2023, Oppenheim appeared on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Hollywood & Entertainment. His second film, Spermworld, premiered at the 2024 True/False Film Festival to critical acclaim, and is available on FX, Disney +, and Hulu. In 2024, Oppenheim completed his first television series, Ren Faire. The series, produced by HBO and Elara Pictures, premiered at the 2024 South by Southwest Film Festival. In 2025, Oppenheim served as a producer on The Python Hunt, directed by Xander Robin and produced by Artists Equity.

Oppenheim is set to make his narrative feature film debut with Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson.

Filmography Short film Year Title Director Producer Editor Notes Ref.2012 The Dogmatic 2013 Quicksand 2014 The Off Season 2016 Long Term Parking New York Times Op-Doc 2017 No Jail Time: The Movie 2018 The Happiest Guy in the World The Paradise Next Door 2024 Frank

Documentary film Year Title Director Producer2020 Some Kind of Heaven 2024 Spermworld 2025 The Python Hunt

Documentary series Year Title Director Producer Creator2024 Ren Faire

Feature film Year Title Director Producer Notes2022 The Whale played Julian, Charlie’s student (uncredited)2026 Primetime

Music video Year Song Director Artist2026 "Lost Boys" Phoebe Bridgers