Dan Cogan

Producer, also writer · Born January 1, 1950 (76) · USA

Oscar winner · Primetime Emmy winner · BAFTA Award nominee · 1 other major award body

Daniel M. Cogan is an American film producer known for his contributions to socially impactful filmmaking. In 2007, he co-founded Impact Partners, a company dedicated to funding and promoting films that drive social change. He later co-founded Gamechanger Films in 2013, an initiative aimed at supporting female directors. In 2019, he and his wife, filmmaker Liz Garbus, with whom he has two children, launched Story Syndicate, a production company. Cogan graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and also studied at Columbia University's Graduate School of the Arts in its Film Division.

Biography from TMDB.

Born: January 1, 1950 (76)
From: USA
Works as: Producer, also writer
Titles: 123 on MovieCove · 149 credits in all
Links: IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 24% in 30 days

What are Dan Cogan's films like?

Across their 117 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.

Genres

Documentary91 titles80^th

Drama4 titles54^th

Comedy2 titles33^rd

Crime2 titles39^th

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight

Morality

17%

Power

17%

Self

16%

Survival

16%

Society

15%

Bonds

10%

Ideas

Justice32 Family bonds22 Community27 Trauma20 Oppression15 Identity15 Survival11 Truth11

What they feel like to watch

their average across 102 films

ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

Earnest

Tone · Sincerity

ironicearnest

Ironic 3 · Wry 1 · Earnest 98

Serious

Tone · Weight

lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 21 · Serious 31 · Dark 50

Grounded

Tone · Style

naturalisticheightened

Grounded 92 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 2

Charged

Feel · Intensity

gentleintense

Gentle 18 · Charged 51 · Intense 33

Steady

Feel · Swings

steadyswings

Steady 68 · Shifting 31 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced

Feel · Humor

noneconstant

Straight-faced 86 · Some laughs 16 · Funny 0

Slow burn

Demand · Pace

slowrelentless

Slow burn 67 · Even-paced 35 · Relentless 0

Engaged

Demand · Attention

casualfull focus

Casual 22 · Engaged 64 · Full focus 16

Affecting

Demand · Emotional cost

easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 22 · Affecting 36 · Heavy 44

Open-ended

Demand · Resolution

resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 55 · Open-ended 36 · Ambiguous 11

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense

Contemplative

Melancholic

Hopeful

Dread

Other

How their films linger

Thought-provoking72 Hopeful43 Infuriating24 Unsettling22 Haunting19 Bittersweet17

How their films end · 3 with a twist

Happy9
Bittersweet65
Tragic3
Ambiguous40

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 Dan Cogan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 97 of their 123 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (29).

Also on these channels

Docurama4 titles, show their 4 titles on Docurama
Kino Film Collection4 titles, show their 4 titles on Kino Film Collection
Cineverse2 titles, show their 2 titles on Cineverse
Lionsgate+2 titles, show their 2 titles on Lionsgate+
Revry2 titles, show their 2 titles on Revry
Sundance Now2 titles, show their 2 titles on Sundance Now
Atresplayer1 title, show their title on Atresplayer
Cohen Media Channel1 title, show their title on Cohen Media Channel
Dove Channel1 title, show their title on Dove Channel
Film Movement Plus1 title, show their title on Film Movement Plus
Fox Nation1 title, show their title on Fox Nation
MagellanTV1 title, show their title on MagellanTV
Shout! TV1 title, show their title on Shout! TV
Strand Releasing1 title, show their title on Strand Releasing
True Royalty1 title, show their title on True Royalty
XiveTV Documentaries1 title, show their title on XiveTV Documentaries

Subscription and free streaming for Dan Cogan'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

149 credits, 123 with a MovieCove page.

Rapinoe(2026)
Producer
Maternal Instinct(2026)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Dynasty: The Murdochs(2026)
Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows
Give Me the Ball!(2026)
Producer
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer
One Night in Idaho: The College Murders(2025)
Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows
The Wolves Always Come at Night(2024)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Titan: The OceanGate Disaster(2025)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Her/Mine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Executive Producer
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer(2025)
Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows
Number One on the Call Sheet(2025)
Show 2 episodes · Producer
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows
Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna(2025)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Enigma(2025)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Sally(2025)
Producer
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Family Secrets: The Disappearance of Alissa Turney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)
Executive Producer
Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara(2024)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Fly(2024)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
The Grab(2022)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Power(2024)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
The Bitter Pill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)
Executive Producer
Love to the Max (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)
Executive Producer
The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring(2023)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine(2023)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
The Barber of Little Rock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Executive Producer
Unknown: Cave of Bones(2023)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York(2023)
Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows
Unknown: Killer Robots(2023)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Unknown: The Lost Pyramid(2023)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Take Care of Maya(2023)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence(2023)
Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows
Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Executive Producer
Harry & Meghan(2022)
Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all shows
To the End(2022)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
I Am Vanessa Guillen(2022)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
Eat the Rich: The GameStop Saga(2022)
Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows
The Murders Before the Marathon(2022)
Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all shows
Children of the Underground(2022)
Show 5 episodes · Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows
My Robot Sophia(2022)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Dear Mr. Brody(2021)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
The Fix (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer
Mayor Pete(2021)
Producer
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Becoming Cousteau(2021)
Producer
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Convergence: Courage in a Crisis(2021)
Producer
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Jacinta(2020)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Britney vs Spears(2021)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Nuclear Family(2021)
Show 3 episodes · Producer
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows
Fauci (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Executive Producer
Debunking Borat(2021)
Show 7 episodes · Producer
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all shows
Allen v. Farrow(2021)
Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows
Ariana Grande: Excuse Me, I Love You(2020)
Producer
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Love & Stuff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Executive Producer
Television Event (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Executive Producer
All In: The Fight for Democracy(2020)
Producer
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Epicentro(2020)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Immigration Nation(2020)
Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows
I'll Be Gone in the Dark(2020)
Show 7 episodes · Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows
Athlete A(2020)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Innocence Files(2020)
Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows
Spaceship Earth(2020)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
On the Record(2020)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Us Kids (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Executive Producer
Assassins(2020)
Producer
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Giving Voice(2020)
Producer
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Shooting the Mafia(2019)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
The Kingmaker(2019)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
The Apollo(2019)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Divide and Conquer(2018)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Bleed Out(2018)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
The Long Dumb Road(2018)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Bisbee '17(2018)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Won't You Be My Neighbor?(2018)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Nancy(2018)
Co-Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
The Fourth Estate(2018)
Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
16 Shots(2019)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Bathtubs Over Broadway(2018)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
The Feeling of Being Watched (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Executive Producer
The Tale(2018)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Our New President(2018)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Of Fathers and Sons(2017)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Unrest(2017)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Dina(2017)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Voyeur(2017)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Hunting Season(2017)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Step(2017)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Icarus(2017)
Producer · as Self (voice)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Buster's Mal Heart(2016)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
The Reagan Show(2017)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Lovesong(2016)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Bending the Arc(2017)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Trophy(2017)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
32 Pills: My Sister's Suicide(2017)
Producer
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Insha'Allah Democracy(2017)
Producer
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
No Man's Land(2017)
Producer
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
The Strange Ones(2017)
Producer
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
City of Joy(2016)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
The Eagle Huntress(2016)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Theo Who Lived(2016)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Notes on Blindness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Executive Producer
Night School(2016)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
The Invitation(2015)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt & Anderson Cooper(2016)
Story Consultant
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Nuts!(2016)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Death by Design(2016)
Producer
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
The C Word(2016)
Producer
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
The Pearl(2016)
Producer
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Song of Lahore(2015)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Chuck Norris vs. Communism(2015)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Addicted to Fresno(2015)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Do I Sound Gay?(2014)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Dreamcatcher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Executive Producer
The Hunting Ground(2015)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Sembene! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Executive Producer
Havana Motor Club(2015)
Producer
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
How to Change the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Executive Producer
Land Ho!(2014)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Big Men(2013)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Vessel(2014)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
The Vanquishing of the Witch Baba Yaga (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Executive Producer
Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory(2014)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Meet the Patels(2014)
Producer
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Watchers of the Sky(2014)
Producer
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
American Promise(2013)
Co-Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Pandora's Promise(2013)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
The Crash Reel(2013)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Remote Area Medical(2013)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Anita: Speaking Truth to Power(2013)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Our Nixon(2013)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Who is Dayani Cristal?(2013)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Web Junkie(2013)
Producer
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
How to Survive a Plague(2012)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Knuckleball! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Producer
Detropia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Executive Producer
The Queen of Versailles(2012)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
My Reincarnation(2011)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Lemon(2011)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Lost Bohemia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Executive Producer
Fightville(2011)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Hell and Back Again(2011)
Producer
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
One Thousand Pictures: RFK's Last Journey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Executive Producer
Children of Invention (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Executive Producer
Secrets of the Tribe(2010)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Family Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Executive Producer
Sons of Perdition(2010)
Producer
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
No Impact Man: The Documentary(2009)
Executive Producer
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer(2009)
Co-Producer
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Lioness(2008)
Producer
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Secrecy(2008)
Producer
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
So Far Gone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Show 1 episode · Executive Producer
Sunburn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Producer

Career shape

A full career of 131 titles, 129 of them dated from 2008 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)

$23M worldwide

Highest rated

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)

Midcredits 99^th

By role

only this rolewith another role

Writing1 of 131Producing130 of 131 · 73^rd

By decade

2000s2 · crew2010s67 · crew2020s60 · 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

an Oscar, a Primetime Emmy and 1 other major award from 12 major nominations, 2012–2024.

WinNomination

2024
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
2023
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
2022
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Documentary
2021
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
- +1 other major body · 1 win
  - Independent Spirit Award, won · Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series
2020
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
2019
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best International Series
2018
- Oscar, won · Best Documentary Feature
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Documentary
2012
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Nonfiction Special

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 Dan Cogan's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 78^th percentile, the median of the 105 of 106 with a score; across their 101 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 80^th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

80^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 101

Approval · how many liked their films

75^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 101

Reach · how many have seen their films

55^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 101

Midcredits score across 122 titles, by percentile

75^th and up64
50^th to 74^th37
25^th to 49^th14
Below 25^th7

Shape of the crowd

48 of their 122 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

Universally Loved14
Universally Panned1
Divisive4
Cult Classic7
Crowd Pleaser48
Broadly Agreed9
Mixed39

Most divisive · producer

Mayor Pete (2021)

99^th percentile spread · 48% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)

Midcredits 99^th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 52/100 and the plot and story 57/100 in their films, across 88 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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.

Is Dan Cogan's work okay for kids?

Across up to 11 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles

Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 39 · moderate

Sex & Nudity11 titles15–65 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all films

Profanity6 titles33–74 · median 52 · moderateheavier than most films

Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 20 · mild

Frightening / Intense5 titles21–76 · median 70 · intenseheavier than most films

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.