Dan Birman is the founder of Birman Productions, and is the creative lead.  As an award-winning director, producer, writer, and cinematographer, he has an extensive body of work in documentary and nonfiction television.  

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Birman is perhaps best known for turning difficult concepts into high-quality entertainment.  Having grown up with a scientist, he had a keen interest in making complex subjects accessible to everyone.  After film school, he spent years bringing work of some of the world’s leading physicians, physicists, planetary scientists, engineers, and others to television.  Later in his career, he expanded this work to include economics, aviation, social issues, and history.

 

He recently completed a feature documentary follow-up to his 2011 acclaimed documentary, Me Facing Life: Cyntoia's Story, which looks at juvenile sentencing issues in America through one Tennessee girl's story. Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story is now available for streaming on Netflix.

 

Birman is a Professor of Professional Practice at his alma mater, the University of Southern California.  He is also an active member of the Television Academy, and formerly on the Board of Governors representing the documentary programming peer group.  He currently serves on the DEIA Task Force.

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Birman was a 2023 Silver Circle Inductee at the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for his lifelong dedication to the documentary profession and his immense contributions to television.