CBTP Spotlight: Abby Epstein

ABBY EPSTEIN has been producing and directing documentaries for over ten years with her partner, Ricki Lake. Their first collaboration was the celebrated feature documentary The Business of Being Born, which premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. The Business of Being Born enjoyed a successful theatrical release and had its broadcast premiere on Showtime. The award-winning doc inspired their book Your Best Birth, (Hachette) and the follow-up docuseries More Business of Being Born featuring Cindy Crawford, Alanis Morissette, Gisele Bundchen and Christy Turlington. Abby made her directing debut at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival with the documentary, Until the Violence Stops, featuring Jane Fonda, Salma Hayek and Rosie Perez. The film premiered on Lifetime Television where it received a Primetime Emmy Award and a Gracie Allen Award.

Under their joint venture BOBB Films, Abby and Ricki produced the documentaries Breastmilk and The Mama Sherpas. BOBB Films is currently in production on two feature docs: Weed the People and Sweetening the Pill. In addition to her work as an independent filmmaker, Abby has produced pilots, promos and online videos for many companies including Universal Films, Original Productions, Freemantle Media, Fusion and Discovery Health.

Prior to working in film, Abby directed Broadway theater, including RENT, The Vagina Monologues, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and many international productions in Spain, Mexico and Canada. Some highlights of her stage directing career are the comedy Platonically Incorrect featuring Sean Hayes, which became a pilot for NBC television, and the LA premiere of Mike Leigh’s Ecstasy featuring Nick Offerman.