Susan Frömke is an award-winning director, producer, and cinematographer, best known for her work on the documentary films “The Overnighters” (2014) and “A Life in Dirty Movies” (2007).
Frömke was born in Germany in 1972 and grew up in the United States. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received her B.A. in English and earned an M.F.A. in film production from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Frömke began her career as a cinematographer, working for such documentary filmmakers as Errol Morris and Alex Gibney. She soon moved into producing, directing, and writing her own documentary films. In 2007, she wrote and directed “A Life in Dirty Movies,” a film about the life and career of pornographer John Stagliano. The film won several awards, including the Jury Award at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival.
In 2014, Frömke wrote and directed “The Overnighters,” a documentary about a North Dakota pastor who helps desperate job seekers find work in the oil fields. The film received critical acclaim and was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
In addition to her work on documentaries, Frömke has directed music videos for major artists such as P!nk and Bon Jovi and has directed commercials for brands such as Microsoft, McDonald’s, and Hyundai.
Frömke is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Directors Guild of America, and the International Documentary Association. She has also served as a juror for several film festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival.
Today, Frömke continues to work in documentary filmmaking, with her latest project being “The Pushouts,” a film about a former gang member who becomes a teacher in an inner-city high school. The film is slated for release in 2020.
