Abby Ginzberg is an independent

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

and producer and founder of Ginzberg Productions. For the past 30 years, Ginzberg has been creating films that tackle discrimination and the legal profession.

Career

She graduated from

UC Hastings College of the Law The University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (abbreviated as UC Law SF or UC Law) is a public law school in San Francisco, California, United States. It was known as the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (a ...

in 1975, and taught at Boalt Hall School of Law from 1975 to 1976, and at New College School of Law from 1981 to 1985. In 2005, Ginzberg released the documentary ''Soul of Justice: Thelton Henderson’s American Journey'', which profiled federal district judge

Thelton Henderson Thelton Eugene Henderson (born November 28, 1933) is an inactive senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. He has played an important role in the field of civil rights as a la ...

. Another film, ''A Tale of Two Cities'', discusses the difficulty of forming high-school education for disadvantaged juvenile youths. Her film, ''Doing Justice: The Life and Trials of Arthur Kinoy'', won a number of awards. She also directed the Peabody award-winning film, ''Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa.'' The documentary, which was supported by the Ford Foundation, chronicled the life of anti-apartheid freedom fighter and former Constitutional Court judge

Albie Sachs Albert "Albie" Louis Sachs (born 30 January 1935) is a South African lawyer, activist, writer, and former judge appointed to the first Constitutional Court of South Africa by Nelson Mandela. Early life and education Albie Sachs was born in ...

, who lost an arm and an eye in an attack by the

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

n security services in

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

in 1988. In 2015, Ginzberg collaborated with filmmaker Frank Dawson on ''Agents of Change'', a documentary that profiles the black student movement on college campuses in the late 1960’s that led to the creation of

Ethnic studies Ethnic studies, in the United States, is the interdisciplinary study of difference—chiefly race, ethnicity, and nation, but also sexuality, gender, and other such markings—and power, as expressed by the state, by civil society, and by indivi ...

departments at

San Francisco State University San Francisco State University (San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Francisco, California, United States. It was established in 1899 as the San Francisco State Normal School and is ...

and

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

. Ginzberg is a member of

Film Fatales Film Fatales is a non-profit which advocates for parity in the entertainment industry and supports a community of women feature film directors who meet regularly to mentor each other, collaborate on projects and share resources. History The group w ...

women directors of independent film.

Select awards

*NAACP Image Award for Best Documentary (2022); Best Director, Harlem International Film Festival, Best Documentary, American Film Festival (Poland), Barbara Lee:Speaking Truth to Power *

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

, ''Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa'' (2014) *

Silver Gavel Award The Silver Gavel Award (also known as the ABA Silver Gavel Awards for Media and The Arts) is an annual award the American Bar Association gives to honor outstanding work by those who help to improve comprehension of jurisprudence in the United St ...

for Media and The Arts, 2006, ''Soul of Justice: Thelton Henderson's American Journey'' (2006) * CINE Golden Eagle ''Soul of Justice: Thelton Henderson's American Journey (2006)''

Filmography

''Everyday Heroes'' (Documentary, 2001) Director & Producer ''Soul of Justice: Thelton Henderson's American Journey'' (Documentary, 2005) Director & Producer ''Cruz Reynoso: Sowing the Seeds of Justice'' (2010) Director & Producer '' The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement'' (Documentary short, 2011) Consulting Producer ''Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa'' (Documentary, 2014) Director & Producer ''Agents of Change'' (Documentary, 2016) Co-Director & Co-Producer ''And Then They Came for Us'' (Documentary, 2017) Co-Director & Producer ''Waging Change''(Documentary,2019) Director and Producer '’ Barbara Lee:Speaking Truth to Power”(Documentary, 2020) Director & Producer ''American Justice on Trial'' (Documentary short, 2022) Co-Producer

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ginzberg, Abby Year of birth missing (living people) Living people New College of California faculty UC Berkeley School of Law faculty University of California College of the Law, San Francisco alumni Film directors from California American documentary film directors Film producers from California American women documentary filmmakers American women academics 21st-century American women