Judd Ehrlich

Judd Ehrlich
Judd Ehrlich with Serena Williams at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Keepers of the Game
Born
EducationVassar College
OccupationsDocumentary film director, producer
Years active1996–present

Judd Ehrlich is an American documentary film director and producer. He is known for directing We Could Be King (2014), The Price of Freedom (2021), and Jane Elliott Against the World (2026), which premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. His films have screened at festivals including Tribeca and Sundance and have aired on CNN, ESPN, and ABC.

Early life and education

Ehrlich was born in New York City and graduated from Vassar College. Before directing his own features, he worked in social services in New York City. He created and curated film series at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Museum, and the JCC Manhattan.

Career

Ehrlich began his career in documentary as an editor. He collaborated on the editing of Macky Alston's Family Name, a Sundance Film Festival award winner, and Ric Burns's PBS series New York, and later worked for the POV series and edited for CBS News.

He directed Mayor of the West Side in 2006, followed by Run for Your Life, a portrait of New York City Marathon founder Fred Lebow, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. He followed Run for Your Life with Magic Camp (2012), set at the Tannen's Magic Camp he had attended as a child.

In 2014, Ehrlich directed We Could Be King, which follows two rival Philadelphia high school football programs forced together after school closures and budget cuts. Made in partnership with Tribeca Digital Studios and the Dick's Sporting Goods Foundation, the film aired on ESPN and ABC and won the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Documentary. It was also selected for the American Film Showcase, a cultural exchange program of the United States Department of State. Reviewing the film for The New York Times, Daniel M. Gold compared its storytelling to Friday Night Lights.

Ehrlich went on to co-direct the short documentary Notes from Liberia with cinematographer Ryo Murakami and directed Keepers of the Game, which follows a girls' lacrosse team from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Keepers of the Game premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, was named a New York Times Critic's Pick, and later aired on ABC. Like We Could Be King, it was selected for the American Film Showcase.

He later directed The Price of Freedom, a documentary about the National Rifle Association and the politics of guns in America. The film premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Festival and was acquired by CNN Films. It was produced by Tribeca Studios and Flatbush Pictures, marking the companies' third collaboration. The New York Times described the film as tracing the history of the National Rifle Association and the growing radicalization of its rhetoric.

In 2026, Ehrlich directed Jane Elliott Against the World, a documentary about educator Jane Elliott, which premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. It was acquired by the PBS documentary series Independent Lens to air as part of its 28th season. It went on to win Best Documentary at the Bentonville Film Festival, along with audience awards at the Boulder, Cleveland, and Sonoma international film festivals.

Accolades

Ehrlich's films have received recognition including a Sports Emmy Award and a Grand Clio for We Could Be King; a Sports Emmy nomination, a Critics Choice Documentary Award nomination, and a Bronze Entertainment Lion at Cannes for Keepers of the Game; and New York Emmy nominations for Mayor of the West Side and Run for Your Life.

Filmography

As director

Television (as director)

As producer and executive producer

References

  1. ↑ "Tribeca and Dick's Sporting Goods Huddle Up for 'We Could Be King'". Tribeca. March 7, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "'We Could Be King' documentary wins Sports Emmy". WHYY. May 11, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "CNN Films Acquires THE PRICE OF FREEDOM From Flatbush Pictures and Tribeca Studios for Premiere on CNN Sept. 19". CNN Pressroom. August 20, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Jane Elliott Against the World". Sundance Institute. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "New York Voices | Thirteen / WNET New York". www.thirteen.org. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Run for Your Life". Tribeca. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  7. ↑ Harris, Brandon (June 27, 2013). "Judd Ehrlich on Magic Camp | Filmmaker Magazine". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  8. ↑ Webster, Andy (June 27, 2013). "Illusion as a Transformative Force". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  9. ↑ Spangler, Todd (March 7, 2014). "Tribeca Teams with Dick's Sporting Goods for High-School Football Docu 'We Could Be King'". Variety. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  10. ↑ "SL Interview: 'We Could Be King' Director Judd Ehrlich". LA84 Foundation. July 3, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  11. 1 2 "American Film Showcase" (PDF). U.S. Department of State. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  12. ↑ Gold, Daniel M. (April 24, 2014). "Enemies One Year, Teammates the Next". The New York Times. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  13. 1 2 "The 2015 RiverRun Jury & Audience Awards | RiverRun International Film Festival". riverrunfilm.com. April 27, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  14. ↑ Barnes, Katie (April 19, 2016). "'Keepers of the Game' breaks new ground for sports storytelling around women". espnW. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  15. ↑ Webster, Andy (April 21, 2016). "Review: 'Keepers of the Game' Sings of Young Women and Lacrosse". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  16. ↑ "The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation Convened Sports Industry Executives and Athletes at the Tribeca Film Festival to Highlight the Importance of Youth Sports". Retail IT Insights. April 20, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  17. 1 2 "The Price of Freedom". Tribeca. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  18. ↑ Kenigsberg, Ben (July 7, 2021). "'The Price of Freedom' Review: Guns Across America". The New York Times. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  19. ↑ Carey, Matthew (July 15, 2026). "'Independent Lens' Series Acquires Four Documentaries: Prize Winners 'Jane Elliott Against The World,' 'Seeds' & More". Deadline. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  20. ↑ Carey, Matthew (June 21, 2026). "Bentonville Film Festival: 'If I Go Will They Miss Me,' 'Jane Elliott Against The World' Win Top Awards – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Boulder International Film Festival Announces 2027 Dates". Yellow Scene. May 10, 2026. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Cleveland International Film Festival Concludes with Audience Choice Awards, Final Film Showings". Cleveland International Film Festival. April 19, 2026. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  23. ↑ Ellwood, Gregory (March 29, 2026). "'The Christophers,' 'Maspalomas,' 'Jane Elliott Against The World' Take Top Prizes At 2026 Sonoma International Film Festival". The Playlist. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  24. ↑ "We Could Be King". Tribeca Studios. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  25. ↑ Nagle, Dave (March 30, 2017). "ESPN, Inc. Leads Industry with 50 Sports Emmy Award Nominations". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Inaugural Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards – List of Nominees and Winners". Critics Choice. November 3, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Day 3 at Cannes". Adweek. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  28. ↑ "The 2007 New York Emmy Awards – Nominees" (PDF). New York Emmy Awards. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Run for Your Life". Variety. 2008. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  30. ↑ Chang, Richard (May 5, 2012). "Newport Beach Film Fest announces winners". The Orange County Register. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  31. ↑ "We Could Be King | Tribeca Film". Tribeca. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Notes from Liberia". docudays.org.ua. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Keepers of the Game | 2016 Tribeca Film Festival". Tribeca. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  34. ↑ "Father K". DOC NYC. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  35. ↑ Corrigan, John (March 30, 2015). "Documentary on MLK High School's historic football season nominated for a Sports Emmy". WHYY. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Tribeca Digital Studios and Dick's Sporting Goods Foundation Team Up". PRNewswire. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  37. ↑ "CW Television". CWtvpr. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  38. ↑ "CW Television". CWtvpr. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  39. ↑ "26th Street Garage". Walker Grimshaw. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Don't Be Nice". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Vassar Career Bios" (PDF). Vassar College. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Oh Canada Press Notes" (PDF). Kino Lorber. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  43. ↑ "SXSW Film Schedule". SXSW. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Remaining Native Review". Variety. 2025. Retrieved July 12, 2026.