Abby Ginzberg, a Peabody award-winning director, member of the Documentary Branch of AMPAS and EMMY® Silver Circle inductee has been producing compelling documentaries about race and social justice for over 35 years. Recently honored with induction into the Silver Circle of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) in recognition of her 25 years of commitment to the film and TV community, Abby has created an impressive portfolio of award-winning films.
She Dared to Dream: Ayanna Pressley profiles Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) whose leadership on reproductive freedom, racial justice, and opposition to authoritarian policies like Project 2025 speaks to the very moment we are in. Her courage in living authentically—speaking openly about alopecia and rejecting imposed beauty standards—makes her story resonate far beyond politics. It is about representation, visibility, and the power of authenticity. The film premiered at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival in August, 2025, was part of the Closing Night event at the Harlem International Film Festival and was recently screened in Washington, DC at the Congressional Black Caucus’ Legislative conference.
Labors of Love: The Life and Legacy of Henrietta Szold is Abby’s latest film. This film delves in to the remarkable life of Henrietta Szold, a female, Jewish icon that few people today have heard of. Szold, known in the US as the founder of Hadassah, was a key figure in establishing healthcare and social services in Palestine as well the administrator of Youth Aliyah which saved over 10,000 German Jewish youth from perishing in the Holocaust. It premiered at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival in July, 2025, where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary
Her film, Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power, won the 2022 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary and is available on Amazon Prime. The film was nominated for a Webby Award in 2025. The feature-length documentary tells the complex story of Representative Barbara Lee, a steadfast voice for human rights, peace and economic and racial justice in the US Congress. The film features prominent voices, including Alice Walker, Van Jones, Rep. John Lewis, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Cory Booker, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Danny Glover.
Her film, Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter (co-directed with Christy Carpenter) premiered at SXSW in March, 2024 in the Documentary Spotlight section and will be broadcast on public television in March, 2025. It won the Best Feature Documentary at the Hill Country Film Festival and Best Biographical Film at the Toronto International Women Film Festival.
Her short film, Judging Juries, (2024) highlights the urgent need to address inequities in jury service and juror pay that undermine the fundamental right to be judged by a diverse and representative jury. The film premiered at the Pan African Film Festival in February, 2024, was screened at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival in 2024 and has won 4 short film awards. It was chosen as a 2025 Honoree by the Webby Awards.
Abby produced A Double Life (2023), directed by Catherine Masud, which premiered at the 2023 Mill Valley Film Festival, winning an Audience Favorite award. This compelling documentary focuses on the role of activists and lawyers in the prison reform movement of the early 1970’s, introducing educational institutions and future generations to this pivotal era.
Abby directed and produced Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa, which won a Peabody award and has screened at numerous festivals worldwide, winning 4 best documentary awards. The film, narrated by Emmy® award-winning actress, Alfre Woodard, tells the powerful story of Albie Sachs, a prominent anti-apartheid activist and former Constitutional Court judge, exploring his journey and contributions to South Africa’s post-apartheid landscape.
Waging Change, examines the challenges faced by tipped servers who are forced to live off tips. The documentary, which highlights the struggles surrounding the federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13 per hour, features award-winning actresses, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, as well as Saru Jayaraman and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The film won Best Feature Documentary at the UNAFF and was broadcast on public television in 2021.
And Then They Came for Us (2017), featuring George Takei, examines the connection between the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and the Trump administration’s Muslim travel ban. The film was broadcast on public television in 2019 and 2020 and won a Silver Gavel award from the American Bar Association for Best Documentary.
Agents of Change (2016) (co-directed with Frank Dawson) tells the untold story of the Black student movement of the late 1960s on college campuses. Actor and activist, Danny Glover, is featured in the film. It won both the Jury and Audience awards for Best Documentary at the Pan African Film Festival and was broadcast on public television on America ReFramed.
Abby was the Consulting Producer on The Barber of Birmingham, which premiered at Sundance in 2011 and was nominated for an Oscar® in the Short Doc category in 2012.The film highlights the experience of foot soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, Alabama.
In addition to her work as a documentary director and producer, Abby has served as President of the Berkeley Film Foundation since 2009, which provides funding and mentoring to the next generation of filmmakers in the East Bay. To date the Foundation has supported 304 films and has provided $2.88 million in grants to filmmakers.
