Susan Koch is an American film director, producer, writer, and editor. She is best known for her feature documentaries, including “Kicking It”, “The Trials of Muhammad Ali”, “By the People: The Election of Barack Obama”, and “The Education of Dee Dee Ricks”.
Koch graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1989 with a degree in government. She has since made films that have aired on HBO, PBS, and other networks, and have shown at festivals around the world.
Koch’s first feature documentary was “Kicking It” (2008), which follows eight homeless people from seven countries around the world as they compete in the Homeless World Cup. The film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at AFI Docs.
In 2009, Koch released “The Trials of Muhammad Ali”, which tells the story of the boxer’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War. The film was an official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival, and was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
In 2010, Koch directed “By the People: The Election of Barack Obama”, which follows the campaign of Barack Obama as he runs for President of the United States. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was the official opening night selection at the AFI/Discovery Channel Silverdocs Festival.
Koch’s most recent feature documentary is “The Education of Dee Dee Ricks” (2012). The film follows Dee Dee Ricks, a breast cancer survivor, as she fights to make healthcare more accessible to low-income communities. The film won the Best Documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Koch was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming for “By the People: The Election of Barack Obama” and won a Peabody Award for “The Education of Dee Dee Ricks”.
Koch is also an active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Directors Guild of America, and the Writers Guild of America. She is currently working on a feature documentary about the life of tennis star Arthur Ashe.
Susan Koch is a talented filmmaker who has used her films to tell stories that are important and relevant. Her dedication to her craft and commitment to
