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Jon Alpert

Jon Alpert

Director, producer, cinematographer, actor and writer, also editor · Born January 1, 1948 (78) · Port Chester, New York, USA

3 Primetime Emmys · Oscar nominee

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jon Alpert (born c. 1948) is an American journalist and documentary filmmaker, known for his use of a cinéma vérité approach in his films. A native of Port Chester, New York, Alpert is a 1970 graduate of Colgate University, and has a black belt in karate. Alpert has traveled widely as an investigative journalist, and has made films for NBC, PBS, and HBO. Over the course of his career, he has won 15 Emmy Awards and three DuPont-Columbia Awards. He has been nominated for a 2010 Academy Award in the category of Best Documentary, Short Subject for China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province. He has reported from Vietnam, Cambodia, Iran, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Cuba, China, and Afghanistan. In 1972, Alpert and his wife, Keiko Tsuno, founded the Downtown Community Television Center, one of the country's first community media centers. He has interviewed Fidel Castro several times, and was one of the few Western journalists to have conducted a videotaped interview with Saddam Hussein since the Persian Gulf War. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jon Alpert, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 1, 1948 (78)
From
Port Chester, New York, USA
Works as
Director, producer, cinematographer, actor and writer, also editor
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 46 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 68% in 30 days

What are Jon Alpert's films like?

Across their 21 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Society.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
40%
Society
26%
Power
10%
Self
8%
Ideas
7%
Morality
6%
Bonds
3%
Community9 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma7 titles, browse their movies with this themeAddiction5 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief5 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy3 titles, browse their movies with this themeWar3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 21 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 5 · Serious 5 · Dark 11

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 21 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 7 · Intense 9

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 16 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 20 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 18 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 2

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 3 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 14

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 17 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
11
Tense
11
Contemplative
8
Dread
7
Hopeful
6
Other
12

How their films linger

Thought-provoking13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous7

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jon Alpert's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (17).

Subscription and free streaming for Jon Alpert's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

46 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page.

  • Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud(2025)

    Cinematographer · Editor · Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Life of Crime 1984-2020(2021)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Finding the Way Home(2019)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • All For One: Media Enabled Musketeers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Director · Producer · Actor

  • Cuba and the Cameraman(2017)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer · Screenplay · as Self

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Rock and a Hard Place(2017)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Banking on Bitcoin(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Mariela Castro's March: Cuba's LGBT Revolution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director

  • The Latin Explosion: A New America(2015)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Other Man: F.W. de Klerk and the End of Apartheid(2014)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Redemption (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • In Tahrir Square: 18 Days of Egypt's Unfinished Revolution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • Wartorn: 1861-2010(2010)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • No Contract, No Cookies: The Stella D'Oro Strike(2010)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • El espiritu de la salsa(2010)

    Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • Dirty Driving: Thundercars of Indiana(2008)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • A Woman Among Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • Access Denied?: The Fight for Corporate Accountability (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • Section 60: Arlington National Cemetery(2008)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq(2007)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Latin Kings: A Street Gang Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • Addiction(2007)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Little Rock Central: 50 Years Later(2007)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Baghdad ER(2006)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Last Cowboy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Dope Sick Love(2005)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Bridge to Baghdad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • Bridge to Baghdad II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • Afghanistan: From Ground Zero to Ground Zero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director

  • Papa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Life of Crime 2(1998)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor · Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • A Cinderella Season: The Lady Vols Fight Back (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director

  • High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Director · Editor · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

  • Lock-Up: The Prisoners of Rikers Island(1994)

    Director · Editor · Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • One Year in a Life of Crime(1989)

    Director · Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Story of Junkie Junior (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer

  • The Philippines: Life, Death and Revolution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director

  • Hard Metal Disease (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director

  • Open Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Third Avenue: Only the Strong Survive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director

  • Healthcare: Your Money or Your Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Producer

  • Vietnam: Picking up the Pieces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director · Producer

  • Chinatown: Immigrants in America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Director · Cinematographer · Co-Producer · Writer · as Narrator

  • Cuba: The People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Narrator

  • The Raging Rabbi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 42 titles, 41 of them dated from 1974 to 2025.

Biggest box office

The Other Man: F.W. de Klerk and the End of Apartheid (2014)

$1.7K worldwide

Highest rated

Life of Crime 1984-2020 (2021)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

The Latin Explosion: A New America (2015)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting5 of 42: 1 only acting, 4 with another roleDirecting38 of 42: 20 only directing, 18 with another role · typical Midcredits score87thWriting5 of 42: 0 only writing, 5 with another roleProducing16 of 42: 2 only producing, 14 with another role · typical Midcredits score80thCinematography12 of 42: 0 only cinematography, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score80thEditing3 of 42: 0 only editing, 3 with another role

42 titles, 19 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 13 of them.

By decade

1970s4 · 2 acting · 4 crew1980s6 · 1 acting · 5 crew1990s4 · 1 acting · 4 crew2000s14 · crew2010s11 · 1 acting · 11 crew2020s2 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

3 Primetime Emmys from 8 major nominations, 2006–2013.

WinNomination
  1. 2013
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Documentary, Short Subjects
  2. 2010
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Documentary, Short Subjects
  3. 2009
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking
  4. 2008
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Nonfiction Special
  5. 2006
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming - Single-Camera Productions
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera)

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Jon Alpert's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 83rd percentile, the median of all 21; across their 21 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 80th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Approval · how many liked their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Reach · how many have seen their films

35thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 21 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · director, producer, cinematographer

Finding the Way Home (2019)

79th percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, producer, cinematographer

Life of Crime 1984-2020 (2021)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 77/100 and the pacing 56/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Jon Alpert work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jon Alpert's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Matthew O'Neill shares the most, 14.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers