Sean S. Cunningham

Sean Sexton Cunningham (born December 31, 1941) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing and producing several horror films, beginning in the early 1970s.

Raised in Connecticut, Cunningham graduated from Franklin & Marshall College before earning an MFA from Stanford University. After completing his education, he worked as a manager for various theater companies, including New York City's Lincoln Center and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. While working for a documentary company in New York, Cunningham made his feature film directorial debut with The Art of Marriage (1970). While editing his second film, he met Wes Craven, with whom he collaborated as a producer of Craven's exploitation horror film The Last House on the Left (1972).

Cunningham went on to co-create and direct the slasher film Friday the 13th (1980), which was a major box-office success. He produced several horror films throughout the 1980s, including House (1985) and its sequel House II: The Second Story (1987).

Early life Cunningham was born in New York City on December 31, 1941 and raised in Connecticut. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Franklin & Marshall College and later earned an MFA from Stanford University.

Career Cunningham's first jobs after graduating from Stanford included managing theater companies such as New York's Lincoln Center, the Mineola Theater on Long Island, as well as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the latter of where he briefly studied. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Directors Guild of America.

While working for a documentary company in New York City in the late 1960s, Cunningham made his directorial debut with The Art of Marriage (1970). While editing Together, he met Wes Craven, who was working as an editor at the time. The two collaborated on Craven's directorial debut, the exploitation film The Last House on the Left (1972), which Cunningham produced.

Cunningham is best known for his involvement of multiple films in the Friday the 13th franchise, which introduced the fictional mass murderer Jason Voorhees. Of the 12 films in the series, the ones that had Cunningham's involvement were the original, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, Jason X, Freddy vs. Jason, and the 2009 reboot. He has also produced many horror films, such as the House series and Wes Craven's debut feature, The Last House on the Left. He is the founder and CEO of Crystal Lake Entertainment. Cunningham was set to produce the CW series adaption of Friday the 13th before that project fell through, and served as a producer of Friday the 13th: The Game.

As of 2015, he is also a member of the board of advisers for the Hollywood Horror Museum.

In 2025, Cunningham was honoured at the 58th Sitges Film Festival with the Time Machine Award (The Màquina del Temps).

Filmography Film Year Title Director Producer Writer 1970 The Art of Marriage 1971 Together 1972 The Last House on the Left 1974 Case of the Full Moon Murders 1978 Here Come the Tigers Manny's Orphans 1980 Friday the 13th 1982 A Stranger Is Watching 1983 Spring Break 1985 The New Kids House 1986 Reiselust 1987 House II: The Second Story 1989 DeepStar Six House III 1992 House IV 1993 My Boyfriend's Back Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday 2001 XCU: Extreme Close Up 2002 Jason X Terminal Invasion 2003 Freddy vs. Jason 2006 Trapped Ashes 2009 Friday the 13th The Last House on the Left His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th 2017 The Nurse with the Purple Hair

Short film Year Title Director Writer 2015 The 'Thing''' 2019 The Music Teacher| Acting roles 2013 Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th'' - Himself (Documentary film)