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Jason Spingarn-Koff

Jason Spingarn-Koff

Producer, also director and editor

Jason Spingarn-Koff is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, journalist and media executive. He is Professor of Journalism and Knight Chair of Climate Journalism at UC Berkeley. From 2015 - 2022, he was Director of Original Documentary Programming at Netflix, where he oversaw more than 100 global films and series, with honors including four Academy Awards for the company. Formerly the commissioning editor for Opinion video at The New York Times, he launched and oversaw the acclaimed Op-Docs initiative for short opinion documentaries by independent filmmakers.

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

Works as
Producer, also director and editor
Titles
52 on MovieCove · 66 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 89% in 30 days

What are Jason Spingarn-Koff's films like?

Across their 50 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
21%
Morality
20%
Society
17%
Self
16%
Ideas
14%
Power
9%
Bonds
4%
Justice16 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity13 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma9 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope9 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief6 titles, browse their movies with this themeMortality5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 41 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 9 · Serious 11 · Dark 21

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

Grounded 35 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 7 · Charged 18 · Intense 16

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

Steady 29 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 40 · 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 32 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 9 · Engaged 27 · Full focus 5

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 9 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 19

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

Resolved 27 · Open-ended 9 · Ambiguous 5

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
25
Contemplative
29
Melancholic
19
Hopeful
19
Dread
11
Other
28

How their films linger

Thought-provoking25 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful25 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet28
  • Ambiguous14
  • Cyclical2
  • Other1

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 Jason Spingarn-Koff's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 51 of their 52 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (50).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jason Spingarn-Koff'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

66 credits, 52 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Glacier Wedding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Executive Producer

  • Allensworth Rising: A Fight for Water (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer

  • The First Rain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Co-Executive Producer

  • When The Smoke Clears (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Executive Producer

  • The Last Repair Shop(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Kangaroo Valley(2022)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Anthrax Attacks(2022)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Return to Space(2022)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari(2022)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Lead Me Home(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Operation Varsity Blues(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Puff: Wonders of the Reef(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • This Is a Robbery: The World's Greatest Art Heist(2021)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all shows

  • Dick Johnson Is Dead(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Athlete A(2020)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Challenger: The Final Flight(2020)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • Father Soldier Son(2020)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • My Octopus Teacher(2020)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb(2020)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Fire in Paradise(2019)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Life Overtakes Me(2019)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Lorena, Light-footed Woman(2019)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Confession Killer(2019)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • The Devil Next Door(2019)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • The Edge of Democracy(2019)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Mind, Explained(2019)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • The Bleeding Edge(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist(2018)

    Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • End Game(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Shirkers(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Zion(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Mercury 13(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Recovery Boys(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Voyeur(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Ram Dass, Going Home(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • One of Us(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Cuba and the Cameraman(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Long Shot(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Icarus(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Keepers(2017)

    Show 7 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Abstract: The Art of Design(2017)

    Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • The Mars Generation(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Chasing Coral(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • CounterPunch(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Daughters of Destiny(2017)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Heroin(e)(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

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

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Kingdom of Us(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Strong Island(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Captive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer

  • The White Helmets(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Into the Inferno(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Ivory Game(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Audrie & Daisy(2016)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Extremis(2016)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Verbatim: Follow the Chicken (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Executive Producer

  • Transgender, at War and in Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Executive Producer

  • Shot in the Name of Art (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Producer

  • Notes on Blindness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Executive Producer

  • Running on Fumes in North Dakota (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Executive Producer

  • West Virginia, Still Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Producer

  • Death of a Prisoner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Executive Producer

  • The Program (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Producer

  • Life 2.0(2010)

    Director · Editor · Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Great Robot Race: The DARPA Grand Challenge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Producer

Career shape

A full career of 37 titles from 2006 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Into the Inferno (2016)

$3.7K worldwide

Highest rated

Cuba and the Cameraman (2017)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist (2018)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing1 of 37: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleProducing36 of 37: 35 only producing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score90thEditing1 of 37: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 37: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

2000s1 · crew2010s27 · crew2020s9 · 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.

How do Jason Spingarn-Koff's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 86th percentile, the median of all 43; across their 41 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 85th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Approval · how many liked their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Reach · how many have seen their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Midcredits score across 52 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up41
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

35 of their 52 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser35
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · producer

The Edge of Democracy (2019)

93rd percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Cuba and the Cameraman (2017)

Midcredits 99th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 69/100 and the pacing 48/100 in their films, across 41 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.

Is Jason Spingarn-Koff's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, frightening / intense runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 81 · severeMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles3–67 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 45 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 10 · minimalMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles29–96 · median 72 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

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.

Who does Jason Spingarn-Koff work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jason Spingarn-Koff's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Lisa Nishimura shares the most, 27.

Directors

Composers and editors

Producers

  • Lisa Nishimura27 titles    See newest 12 of 27 shared titles with Lisa Nishimura
  • Tessa Treadway17 titles    See newest 12 of 17 shared titles with Tessa Treadway
  • Jonathan Mussman12 titles    See all 12 shared titles with Jonathan Mussman
  • Ariane Wu10 titles    See all 10 shared titles with Ariane Wu