Joel Allen Schroeder is a filmmaker and director best known for his award-winning documentary feature films. He was born and raised in the Midwest and developed an early interest in film through super 8 home movies. His passion for filmmaking propelled him to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he earned a degree in film production.
Schroeder made his feature film debut in 2004 with the documentary Dear Mr. Watterson, which explored the impact of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. The film was a critical success, winning numerous awards at film festivals around the country.
In 2006, Schroeder released his second feature film, Most Valuable Players, which followed a group of high school students competing in a local quiz bowl tournament. The film was an official selection at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival and won numerous awards, including Best Documentary at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
In 2009, Schroeder released his third feature, Refrigerator Mothers, which explored the lives of mothers of children with autism in the 1950s. The film was an official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
Schroeder’s other credits include producing the documentary feature The First Monday in May, which was an official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival, and directing and producing the documentary feature American Honor Killers, which won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Nashville Film Festival.
Schroeder is currently in production on a new feature film, The Life and Times of Paul the Psychic Octopus, which tells the extraordinary true story of the most famous octopus in the world. The film is slated for release in 2021.
Schroeder is an active member of the documentary filmmaking community, frequently giving lectures and master classes at film festivals and universities around the world. He is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as well as a Fellow of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Schroeder’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and numerous other publications. He has also been the subject of profiles and interviews on NPR, CNN, and MSNBC, among others.
