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Tom Hurwitz

Tom Hurwitz

Cinematographer, also director · New York, USA

BAFTA Award nominee · 1 other major award body

Tom Hurwitz, ASC is one of America's most honored documentary cinematographers. Winner of two Emmy Awards, the Sundance and Jerusalem Film Festival Awards for Best Cinematography, Hurwitz has photographed films that have won 4 academy awards and several more nominations (most recently for Dancemaker and Killing in the Name). His features and television programs have won literally dozens of awards, Emmy, Dupont, Peabody, Directors Guild and film festival awards for Best Documentary, over the last 25 years - most recently were Emmy Awards for Best Documentary Specials for the PBS show Jerome Robbins and the PBS series Franklin, and Sundance Awards for Queen of Versailles, and Love Free or Die, on all of which Hurwitz directed the photography. 0 Other award-winning films and programs that he has photographed include: Tiger-Tiger, Koch, Valentino: The Last Emperor, Harlan County USA, Wild Man Blues, My Generation, Down and Out in America, The Turandot Project, Liberty, Dolley, Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero, for PBS; and I Have a Dream, for ABC; and Killing in the Name, and Questioning Faith for HBO. In addition, films that he has directed have won the Cine Golden Eagle (for Bombs will Make the Rainbow Break) and have been shown in festivals around the world. He is also a founding member of the faculty of The MFA Program in the Social Documentary, at New York's School of Visual Arts. For 30 years, he has been a verger, or lay-liturgist at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. He lives in Manhattan with his wife, the Jungian analyst Margaret Klenck. He has three grown children and five grandchildren

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

From
New York, USA
Works as
Cinematographer, also director
Titles
53 on MovieCove · 89 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 28% in 30 days

What are Tom Hurwitz's films like?

Across their 46 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Ideas.

Genres

Documentary39 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 86th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Drama movies

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
Society
27%
Ideas
19%
Self
19%
Survival
11%
Power
10%
Morality
9%
Bonds
5%
Art13 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity13 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy14 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose8 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition5 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 44 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 23 · Serious 10 · Dark 11

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

Grounded 39 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 28 · Charged 10 · Intense 6

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

Steady 39 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 34 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 38 · Even-paced 5 · 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 17 · Engaged 24 · Full focus 3

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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 26 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 7

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

Resolved 34 · Open-ended 9 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
36
Warm
17
Hopeful
16
Tense
10
Melancholic
13
Other
29

How their films linger

Thought-provoking21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet24
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous11
  • Cyclical3
  • Other2

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 Tom Hurwitz's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 33 of their 53 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (10).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Tom Hurwitz'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

89 credits, 53 with a MovieCove page.

  • Starman(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Photographer(2024)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • The Super Models(2023)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • The Fire That Took Her(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • In Balanchine's Classroom(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters(2020)

    Director · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Innocence Files(2020)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America's Elections(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Land of Azaba(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Pavarotti(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Cradle of Champions(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Studio 54(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • One Vote(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The China Hustle(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey to Tomorrow(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Shadowman(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt & Anderson Cooper(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • By Sidney Lumet(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • (Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Tiger Tiger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Cinematographer

  • The Jazz Loft According to W. Eugene Smith(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Horse Tribe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Cinematographer

  • Paul Taylor: Creative Domain(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Koch(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Andre Gregory: Before and After Dinner(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • What Is Cinema?(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Love Free or Die (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Cinematographer

  • The Queen of Versailles(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The World Against Apartheid: Have You Heard from Johannesburg? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 7 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Can't Stand Losing You: Surviving the Police(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Standbys(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Eames: The Architect & The Painter(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Gloria: In Her Own Words(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Lafayette: The Lost Hero(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Dolley Madison (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

  • Dancing Across Borders(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Studs Terkel: Listening to America(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Valentino: The Last Emperor(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Coma(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Ghosts of Abu Ghraib(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • A Poet on the Frontline: The Reportage of Ryszard Kapuscinski (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Cinematographer

  • Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Music from the Inside Out(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Benjamin Franklin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 3 episodes · Cinematographer

  • The Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Camera Operator

  • Middle School Confessions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Cinematographer

  • My Generation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Cinematographer

  • Appalachian Journey Live In Concert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Camera Operator

  • The Source(1999)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Jaded(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Whipped (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Camera Operator

  • SubwayStories: Tales from the Underground(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Wild Man Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Cinematographer

  • The Hurricane of '38 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Cinematographer

  • The Ten Million Dollar Getaway(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Good Policeman(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • A Vision Shared: A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Cinematographer

  • The Ten-Year Lunch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Cinematographer

  • Just a Regular Kid: An AIDS Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Cinematographer

  • Creepshow 2(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Daniel and the Towers(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Down and Out in America(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Are We Winning, Mommy? America and the Cold War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Cinematographer

  • Directed by William Wyler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Cinematographer

  • Cindy Eller: A Modern Fairy Tale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Cinematographer

  • George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey(1984)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Hard Choices (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Cinematographer

  • Lillian Gish (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • Merton: A Film Biography (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • White Elephant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer · Editor

  • All About Mankiewicz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Cinematographer

  • Q: The Winged Serpent(1982)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Family Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Cinematographer

  • The Weavers: Wasn't That a Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Cinematographer

  • Strokes of Genius: Arshile Gorky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Additional Photography

  • The Killing of America(1981)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • We Are the Guinea Pigs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Cinematographer

  • Alambrista! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Additional Photography · Cinematographer

  • The Grateful Dead Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Cinematographer

  • Between the Lines(1977)

    Lighting Manager

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • ABC Afterschool Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

  • Discovery in a Landscape (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Associate Producer · Cinematographer

  • Light and the City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Cinematographer · Music Consultant

  • Last Summer Won't Happen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director · Sound

  • For Life, Against the War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 69 titles from 1967 to 2023.

Biggest box office

Creepshow 2 (1987)

$14M worldwide

Highest rated

The Fire That Took Her (2022)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

The Super Models (2023)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing3 of 69: 1 only directing, 2 with another roleProducing1 of 69: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleCinematography60 of 69: 55 only cinematography, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score82ndEditing1 of 69: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew10 of 69: 7 only other crew, 3 with another role

69 titles, 6 with more than one role — cinematography and other crew overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1960s2 · crew1970s6 · crew1980s21 · crew1990s7 · crew2000s11 · crew2010s17 · crew2020s5 · 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

1 major award from 2 major nominations, 1998–2001.

WinNomination
  1. 2001
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Photography (Factual)
  2. 1998
    • Sundance award, won · Documentary

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 Tom Hurwitz's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 85th percentile, the median of all 50; across their 44 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 81st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 44

Approval · how many liked their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 44

Reach · how many have seen their films

37thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 44

Midcredits score across 53 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up35
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

26 of their 53 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive3
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser26
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · cinematographer

One Vote (2018)

99th percentile spread · 46% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Fire That Took Her (2022)

Midcredits 96th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 58/100 in their films, across 19 reviewed titles; fans 65, detractors 40. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

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 Tom Hurwitz work with?

People who share at least 2 of Tom Hurwitz's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sheila Nevins shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles