Ricki Stern

Directing

Ricki Stern

Known for

Directing

Credits

30 titles

Ricki Stern is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, most known for her documentarian work, and author. She often works alongside filmmaker Anne Sundberg.

Known for

My So-Called High School Rank poster
6.0

A deep dive into the lives of high school students in three radically disparate communities as they navigate the pressures around college while staging a musical, until seismic events upend their dreams and expectations.

My So-Called High School Rank

2022

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work poster
6.9

A documentary on the life and career of Joan Rivers, made as the comedienne turns 75 years old.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

2010

Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing poster
6.8

Recounts the dramatic story of the April 2013 terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon through the experiences of individuals whose lives were affected. Ranging from the events of the day to the death-penalty sentencing of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the film features surveillance footage, news clips, home movies and exclusive interviews with survivors and their families, as well as first responders, investigators, government officials and reporters from the Boston Globe, which won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the bombing. In the wake of terrorism, a newlywed couple, a mother and daughter, and two brothers - all gravely injured by the blast - face the challenges of physical and emotional recovery as they and their families strive to reclaim their lives and communities.

Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing

2016

Burma Soldier poster
NR

The story of Myo Myint, a political prisoner, who made the transformation from being a soldier in Burma's junta to a pro-democracy activist.

Burma Soldier

2010

What Will I Become? poster
10.0

More than 50% of transgender boys have attempted suicide. Through two life stories, directors Lexie and Logan unravel why their community is particularly vulnerable to living and dying quietly.

What Will I Become?

2026

The Trials of Darryl Hunt poster
8.1

"The Trials of Darryl Hunt" is a feature documentary about a brutal rape/murder case and a wrongly convicted man, Darryl Hunt, who spent nearly twenty years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Both a social justice story and a personally driven narrative, the film chronicles this capital case from 1984 through 2004. With exclusive footage from two decades, the film frames the judicial and emotional response to a chilling crime - and the implications that reverberate from Hunt's conviction - against a backdrop of class and racial bias in the South and in the American criminal justice system.

The Trials of Darryl Hunt

2007

Behind the camera

My So-Called High School Rank poster
6.0

A deep dive into the lives of high school students in three radically disparate communities as they navigate the pressures around college while staging a musical, until seismic events upend their dreams and expectations.

My So-Called High School Rank

2022

My So-Called High School Rank poster
6.0

A deep dive into the lives of high school students in three radically disparate communities as they navigate the pressures around college while staging a musical, until seismic events upend their dreams and expectations.

My So-Called High School Rank

2022

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work poster
6.9

A documentary on the life and career of Joan Rivers, made as the comedienne turns 75 years old.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

2010

Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing poster
6.8

Recounts the dramatic story of the April 2013 terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon through the experiences of individuals whose lives were affected. Ranging from the events of the day to the death-penalty sentencing of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the film features surveillance footage, news clips, home movies and exclusive interviews with survivors and their families, as well as first responders, investigators, government officials and reporters from the Boston Globe, which won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the bombing. In the wake of terrorism, a newlywed couple, a mother and daughter, and two brothers - all gravely injured by the blast - face the challenges of physical and emotional recovery as they and their families strive to reclaim their lives and communities.

Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing

2016

Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing poster
6.8

Recounts the dramatic story of the April 2013 terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon through the experiences of individuals whose lives were affected. Ranging from the events of the day to the death-penalty sentencing of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the film features surveillance footage, news clips, home movies and exclusive interviews with survivors and their families, as well as first responders, investigators, government officials and reporters from the Boston Globe, which won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the bombing. In the wake of terrorism, a newlywed couple, a mother and daughter, and two brothers - all gravely injured by the blast - face the challenges of physical and emotional recovery as they and their families strive to reclaim their lives and communities.

Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing

2016

Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing poster
6.8

Recounts the dramatic story of the April 2013 terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon through the experiences of individuals whose lives were affected. Ranging from the events of the day to the death-penalty sentencing of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the film features surveillance footage, news clips, home movies and exclusive interviews with survivors and their families, as well as first responders, investigators, government officials and reporters from the Boston Globe, which won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the bombing. In the wake of terrorism, a newlywed couple, a mother and daughter, and two brothers - all gravely injured by the blast - face the challenges of physical and emotional recovery as they and their families strive to reclaim their lives and communities.

Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing

2016

Burma Soldier poster
NR

The story of Myo Myint, a political prisoner, who made the transformation from being a soldier in Burma's junta to a pro-democracy activist.

Burma Soldier

2010

What Will I Become? poster
10.0

More than 50% of transgender boys have attempted suicide. Through two life stories, directors Lexie and Logan unravel why their community is particularly vulnerable to living and dying quietly.

What Will I Become?

2026

The Trials of Darryl Hunt poster
8.1

"The Trials of Darryl Hunt" is a feature documentary about a brutal rape/murder case and a wrongly convicted man, Darryl Hunt, who spent nearly twenty years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Both a social justice story and a personally driven narrative, the film chronicles this capital case from 1984 through 2004. With exclusive footage from two decades, the film frames the judicial and emotional response to a chilling crime - and the implications that reverberate from Hunt's conviction - against a backdrop of class and racial bias in the South and in the American criminal justice system.

The Trials of Darryl Hunt

2007

Reversing Roe poster
7.3

Documentary that delves deep into the history of abortion law, revealing the contradictory ways in which women's bodies have been used to further political and ideological agendas.

Reversing Roe

2018

Reversing Roe poster
7.3

Documentary that delves deep into the history of abortion law, revealing the contradictory ways in which women's bodies have been used to further political and ideological agendas.

Reversing Roe

2018

Reversing Roe poster
7.3

Documentary that delves deep into the history of abortion law, revealing the contradictory ways in which women's bodies have been used to further political and ideological agendas.

Reversing Roe

2018

Here to Climb poster
4.3

Follow professional climber Sasha DiGiulian as she rises from child prodigy to a champion sport climber, and ultimately makes her mark by taking her talents to the biggest walls on the planet with a series of bold, first female ascents. Confronting both physical and mental obstacles head on, Sasha charts her own course in a sport where a path didn’t exist, enabling her passion to become a viable profession.

Here to Climb

2024

The End of America poster
6.9

Based on her book of the same name, Naomi Wolf presents controversial evidence that America has begun a frightening descent into dictatorship and fascism. American democracy, as we know it, is under attack. By examining the chilling parallels between the current state of our nation and the ascent of dictators and fascism in other once-free societies, Wolf urges viewers to open their eyes to the horrors that lie ahead. From the increased use of paramilitary groups to the construction of secret prisons and the targeted suspension of the rule of law, the warning signs are all there for people to wake up and finally take notice.

The End of America

2008

The Devil Came on Horseback poster
7.2

While serving with the African Union, former Marine Capt. Brian Steidle documents the brutal ethnic cleansing occuring in Darfur. Determined that the Western public should know about the atrocities he is witnessing, Steidle contacts New York Times reporter Nicholas Kristof, who publishes some of Steidle's photographic evidence.

The Devil Came on Horseback

2007

Nature of the Crime poster
5.5

After decades in prison, Todd Scott, Chad Campbell, and Carlos Rebollo navigate the complex bureaucracy of the parole system and deal with its psychological toll. All three men, incarcerated as teens, wrestle with the weight of their crimes, questioning how they can appropriately express their deep remorse to a parole board that will determine whether they are released.

Nature of the Crime

2024

Nature of the Crime poster
5.5

After decades in prison, Todd Scott, Chad Campbell, and Carlos Rebollo navigate the complex bureaucracy of the parole system and deal with its psychological toll. All three men, incarcerated as teens, wrestle with the weight of their crimes, questioning how they can appropriately express their deep remorse to a parole board that will determine whether they are released.

Nature of the Crime

2024

Nature of the Crime poster
5.5

After decades in prison, Todd Scott, Chad Campbell, and Carlos Rebollo navigate the complex bureaucracy of the parole system and deal with its psychological toll. All three men, incarcerated as teens, wrestle with the weight of their crimes, questioning how they can appropriately express their deep remorse to a parole board that will determine whether they are released.

Nature of the Crime

2024

In My Father’s House poster
6.0

IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE explores identity and legacy in the African-American family, as Grammy award-winning rapper Che 'Rhymefest' Smith and his long-lost father reconnect and try to build a new future in Chicago's turbulent South Side. Himself a child of a broken home, Che hasn't seen his father, Brian, in over 20 years, and presumes him dead. But after buying his father's childhood home, Che sets out to find him, and learns that his is now a homeless alcoholic living only several blocks away/ The film offers a probing take on memory and identity in a family two generations removed from slavery as it tracks Che and Brian's shared journey to create a new legacy for themselves, their community and the next generation of family.

In My Father’s House

2015

In My Father’s House poster
6.0

IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE explores identity and legacy in the African-American family, as Grammy award-winning rapper Che 'Rhymefest' Smith and his long-lost father reconnect and try to build a new future in Chicago's turbulent South Side. Himself a child of a broken home, Che hasn't seen his father, Brian, in over 20 years, and presumes him dead. But after buying his father's childhood home, Che sets out to find him, and learns that his is now a homeless alcoholic living only several blocks away/ The film offers a probing take on memory and identity in a family two generations removed from slavery as it tracks Che and Brian's shared journey to create a new legacy for themselves, their community and the next generation of family.

In My Father’s House

2015

The Hotline poster
NR

Portrait of an anonymous overdose hotline where people call before using, and volunteers stay on the line, racing against time, forging collective hope amid addiction.

The Hotline

2026

Let Them Wear Towels poster
7.0

During the 1977 World Series, Sports Illustrated reporter Melissa Ludtke was denied access to the players' locker room. After a very public fight, the door was opened, but the debate about female journalists in the male sanctum of the clubhouse remained. Through interviews with pioneering female sports writers, Let Them Wear Towels captures the raw behavior, humorous retaliation, angry lawsuits and remarkable resolve that went into the struggle for equal access for women reporters.

Let Them Wear Towels

2013

UFOs on the Record poster
8.0

The film features in-depth accounts by people who are willing to risk their jobs and reputations to speak out about their extraordinary experiences, such as former Arizona Governor Symington III; Nick Pope, former head of the British Defense Ministry's UFO Investigative Unit, and others.

UFOs on the Record

2011

Family Secrets: The Disappearance of Alissa Turney poster
4.8

Explores the disappearance of Alissa Turney in 2001, with her sister Sarah giving unprecedented access to the continuation of her story, including a recently unearthed trove of home videos, as she re-examines her and Alissa’s childhood. Sarah makes chilling discoveries, breaking through years of manipulation to reconstruct the truth of the past and be free of her father’s influence. Sarah’s final conversation with her father is haunting and a testament to her tenacity and unending search for Alissa.

Family Secrets: The Disappearance of Alissa Turney

2024

Knuckleball! poster
6.9

Follows the Boston Red Sox' Tim Wakefield and the New York Mets' R.A. Dickey - the only two major league pitchers who use the unpredictable knuckleball - during the 2011 season.

Knuckleball!

2012

Focus Forward: Short Films, Big Ideas poster
NR

Focus Forward: Short Films, Big Ideas is an award-winning series of 30 three-minute stories about innovators—people who are reshaping the world through act or invention—directed by the world's most celebrated documentary filmmakers.

Focus Forward: Short Films, Big Ideas

2012

A Radical Life poster
7.7

An unfiltered look at the former First Lady of ISIS, Tania Joya, who for twelve years was married to John Georgelas, the highest ranking American in ISIS.

A Radical Life

2022

A Radical Life poster
7.7

An unfiltered look at the former First Lady of ISIS, Tania Joya, who for twelve years was married to John Georgelas, the highest ranking American in ISIS.

A Radical Life

2022

No artwork available
NR

Comic legend Jack Kirby co-created Captain America, Avengers, Black Panther and more for Marvel and DC. From Depression-era roots through WWII service to his 60-year comics career, he shaped the medium as a major 20th century artist.

Kirbyvision

—

No artwork available
10.0

This documentary presents different perspectives around a boxing gym in the Bronx: the founder, who hoped to keep troubled boys off the streets; his protege; and two young trainees.

In My Corner

1999