Gabriela Cowperthwaite has been directing both documentaries and narrative films for over 20 years, rising to prominence with the 2013 release of Blackfish, which examined the plight of orcas and their trainers at SeaWorld. Blackfish quickly became one of the highest grossing documentaries of all time, amassing over 100 million viewers worldwide and helping to permanently change the captive industry. In addition to being shortlisted for an Academy Award®, Blackfish was nominated for a BAFTA®, a Broadcast Critics Awards and an International Documentary Association Award and won the Satellite Award for Best Feature.
Most recently, Cowperthwaite completed ISS, a space station thriller starring Academy Award-winner Ariana DeBose. ISS is scheduled for release in 2022. Her critically acclaimed film Our Friend, starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson and Jason Segel, was released in 2020. Based on a true-life story, Our Friend tells the story of a couple struggling through a diagnosis alongside their best friend. Megan Leavey, which marked Cowperthwaite’s narrative directorial debut in 2015, is based on the true-life story of a Marine corporal (portrayed by Kate Mara) whose unique bond with her military combat dog saved many lives during their deployment in Iraq.
