{{short description|American film director}} {{Infobox person | name = Lance Oppenheim | image = 2020 Screening SomeKindofHeaven.jpg | caption = Oppenheim at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1996|1|26}} | birth_place = Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.<!--No boroughs/neighborhoods, just cities per format.--> | occupation = Filmmaker | spouse = {{marriage|Abigail Rowe|2025}} | children = 1 | alma_mater = Harvard University (BA) | years_active = 2013–present |website = {{URL|http://tobeformed.com}} }} '''Lance Oppenheim''' (born January 26, 1996) is an American filmmaker, documentarian, and producer. His work blends nonfiction storytelling with heightened, cinematic formalism. Oppenheim has received critical acclaim for his films ''Some Kind of Heaven'' (2020) and ''Spermworld'' (2024). He is also known for creating the HBO documentary series ''Ren Faire'' (2024).

==Life== Oppenheim was born to a Jewish family in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the son of attorneys Roy and Ellen Oppenheim, and raised in Southwest Ranches, Florida. He attended Pine Crest School from 2010 to 2014. He graduated from Harvard University in 2019 with a degree in Visual and Environmental Studies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/01/student-and-alumnus-have-films-premiering-at-sundance/|title=Student and alumnus have films premiering at Sundance|date=January 21, 2020}}</ref> At Harvard, Oppenheim studied under filmmakers Ross McElwee, Robb Moss, and Guy Maddin, and lived in Adams House.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/harvard-filmmakers-documentary-in-tribeca-spotlight/|title=Harvard filmmaker's documentary in Tribeca spotlight|date=April 20, 2018}}</ref>

==Career== In high school, Oppenheim directed several short documentaries, one of which PBS distributed nationwide.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/health/fl-xpm-2013-10-17-fl-southwest-ranches-teen-alzheimer-film-20131017-story.html|title=Teen filmmaker focuses on grandfather's lost memories|first=Johnny|last=Diaz|website=Sun-Sentinel.com|date=17 October 2013 }}</ref> He sent documentary pitches to the ''New York Times'' Op-Docs' open submission portal, documenting "crazy things happening in [his] backyard", which the ''Times'' would "politely reject."<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/people/lance-oppenheim/|title=Lance Oppenheim|first=Vadim|last=Rizov|date=27 August 2019 }}</ref>

He broke through to the ''New York Times'' while studying at Harvard's undergraduate Visual and Environmental Studies program. In college, Oppenheim directed three short documentaries acquired and distributed by The New York Times Op-Docs. His short ''The Happiest Guy in the World'', about a long-term cruise passenger Mario Salcedo, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="Radsken2018-04-20">{{cite news |last=Radsken |first=Jill |date=2018-04-20 |title=From the Everglades to Tribeca |url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/harvard-filmmakers-documentary-in-tribeca-spotlight/ |newspaper=The Harvard Gazette |accessdate=2022-07-01 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705081840/https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/harvard-filmmakers-documentary-in-tribeca-spotlight/ |archivedate=2022-07-05 }}</ref><ref name="Goldrich2018-05-03">{{cite magazine |last=Goldrich |first=Robert |date=2018-05-03 |title=Tool Director Lance Oppenheim In Cruise Control At Tribeca: His New York Times' Op-Doc "The Happiest Guy in the World" debuts at festival |url=https://www.shootonline.com/news/tool-director-lance-oppenheim-cruise-control-tribeca |magazine=Shoot |accessdate=2022-07-01 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705081856/https://www.shootonline.com/news/tool-director-lance-oppenheim-cruise-control-tribeca |archivedate=2022-07-05 }}</ref><ref name="Aeon2022-02-24">{{cite magazine |date=2022-02-24 |title=Meet 'Super Mario', the man who's lived on cruise ships for two decades |url=https://aeon.co/videos/meet-super-mario-the-man-whos-lived-on-cruise-ships-for-two-decades |magazine=Aeon |accessdate=2022-07-01 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705081950/https://aeon.co/videos/meet-super-mario-the-man-whos-lived-on-cruise-ships-for-two-decades |archivedate=2022-07-05 }}</ref>

Oppenheim directed and produced his debut feature, ''Some Kind of Heaven'', a documentary exploring life inside The Villages, Florida, as part of his undergraduate senior thesis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/lists/varietys-power-of-young-hollywood-list-2020/|title=Variety's Power of Young Hollywood List 2020|first1=Thomas K. Arnold, Jem Aswad, Randee Dawn, Diane Garrett, Shirley Halperin, Paula Hendrickson, Steven J. Horowitz, Carole Horst, Todd Longwell, Brooke Mazurek, Addie Morfoot, Jenelle Riley, Chris|last1=Willman|first2=Thomas K.|last2=Arnold|first3=Jem|last3=Aswad|first4=Randee|last4=Dawn|first5=Diane|last5=Garrett|first6=Shirley|last6=Halperin|first7=Paula|last7=Hendrickson|first8=Steven J.|last8=Horowitz|first9=Carole|last9=Horst|first10=Todd|last10=Longwell|first11=Brooke|last11=Mazurek|first12=Addie|last12=Morfoot|first13=Jenelle|last13=Riley|first14=Chris|last14=Willman|date=August 5, 2020}}</ref> In it, he follows four seniors living in The Villages and how they cope with later adult life. The film was produced by filmmaker Darren Aronofsky and ''The New York Times'', one of the paper's first feature-length productions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/01/darren-aronofsky-interview-lance-oppenheim-some-kind-of-heaven-sundance-1202843278/|title=Darren Aronofsky Returns To Sundance With 'Some Kind Of Heaven', Directed By Gifted Young Protégé With "Tremendous Potential"|first1=Matthew|last1=Carey|date=January 28, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/new-york-times-documentaries-lance-oppenheim-kathleen-lingo-1203471636/|title=Why the New York Times Is Getting Into the Documentary Films Business (EXCLUSIVE)|first1=Ramin|last1=Setoodeh|date=January 21, 2020}}</ref> The film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and International Film Festival Rotterdam to critical acclaim and was later acquired by Magnolia Pictures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/08/magnolia-pictures-sundance-documentary-some-kind-of-heaven-lance-oppenheim-darren-aronofsky-1203015158/|title=Magnolia Pictures Acquires Darren Aronofsky-Produced Sundance Docu 'Some Kind Of Heaven'|first1=Dino-Ray|last1=Ramos|date=August 17, 2020}}</ref>

In 2023, Oppenheim appeared on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Hollywood & Entertainment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lance Oppenheim |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/lance-oppenheim/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>

Oppenheim's second film, ''Spermworld'', premiered at the 2024 True/False Film Festival to critical acclaim, and is available on FX, Disney +, and Hulu.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aguilar |first=Carlos |date=2024-03-07 |title=The 2024 True/False Film Festival Brought a Parade, Sperm Donors, and a Weekend of Documentaries to Missouri |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/2024-true-false-film-festival-spermworld-docs-1234961220/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=IndieWire |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2024, Oppenheim completed his first television series, ''Ren Faire''. The series, produced by HBO and Elara Pictures, premiered at the 2024 South by Southwest Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Khosla |first=Proma |date=2024-03-10 |title='Ren Faire' Premiere Plunges Viewers Into Medieval Mind Games at SXSW |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/ren-faire-premiere-sxsw-1234962338/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=IndieWire |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2025, Oppenheim served as a producer on ''The Python Hunt'' directed by Xander Robin, produced by Artists Equity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/the-python-hunt-snake-hunting-doc-sxsw-1235101647/|title='The Python Hunt': How Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's Artists Equity Helped Turn a Snake-Hunting Contest Into a SXSW Doc Hit|website=IndieWire|first=Anne|last=Thompson|date=March 14, 2025|access-date=March 15, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2025/03/the-python-hunt-everglades-documentary-artists-equity-sxsw-1236315457/|title=Artists Equity Unveils Slithery Docu 'The Python Hunt' At SXSW|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Mike Jr.|last=Fleming|date=March 8, 2025|access-date=March 15, 2025}}</ref>

He is set to make his narrative feature film debut with ''Primetime'', starring Robert Pattinson.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/10/robert-pattinson-lance-oppenheim-teaming-primetime-movie-a24-1236144897/|title=Robert Pattinson, Lance Oppenheim Developing Crime Reporting Pic 'Primetime' For A24|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Matt|last=Grobar|date=October 22, 2024|access-date=March 15, 2025}}</ref>

==Filmography== '''Short film''' {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Director ! Producer ! Editor ! Notes ! Ref. |- |2012 || ''The Dogmatic'' || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || || |- |2013 || ''Quicksand'' || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || ||<ref>{{cite web | title=Quicksand | website=Short of the Week | date=2013-08-01 | url=https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2013/08/01/quicksand | access-date=2021-01-15}}</ref> |- |2014 || ''The Off Season'' || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || ||<ref>{{cite web | title=The Off Season | website=Short of the Week | date=2014-12-22 | url=https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2014/12/22/the-off-season | access-date=2021-01-15}}</ref> |- |2016 || ''Long Term Parking'' || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} ||rowspan=4|''New York Times Op-Doc'' ||<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/06/opinion/long-term-parking.html|title=Opinion &#124; Home Is Where the Parking Lot Is (Published 2016)|first=Lance|last=Oppenheim|work=The New York Times |date=September 6, 2016|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> |- |2017 || ''No Jail Time: The Movie'' || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} ||<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/05/opinion/courtroom-sentencing-videos-lawyers.html|title=Opinion &#124; No Jail Time: The Movie (Published 2017)|first=Lance|last=Oppenheim|work=The New York Times |date=December 5, 2017|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> |- |rowspan=2|2018 || ''The Happiest Guy in the World'' || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} ||<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/01/opinion/cruise-caribbean-retirement.html|title=Opinion &#124; The Happiest Guy in the World (Published 2018)|first=Lance|last=Oppenheim|work=The New York Times |date=May 1, 2018|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> |- | ''The Paradise Next Door'' || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} ||<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/23/opinion/paradise-next-door-florida-elderly.html|title=Opinion &#124; The Paradise Next Door (Published 2021)|first=Lance|last=Oppenheim|work=The New York Times |date=February 21, 2021|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> |- |2024 || ''Frank'' || {{no}} || {{yes}} || {{no}} || || <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://schedule.sxsw.com/2024/films/2196768|title=Frank |first=David|last=Gauvey Herbert|work=SXSW Film Festival|date=February 28, 2024}}</ref> |- |}

'''Documentary film''' {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Director ! Producer |- |2020 || ''Some Kind of Heaven'' || {{yes}} || {{yes}} |- |2024 || ''Spermworld'' || {{yes}} || {{yes}} |- |2025 || ''The Python Hunt'' || {{no}} || {{yes}} |- |}

'''Documentary series''' {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Director ! Producer ! Creator |- |2024 || ''Ren Faire'' || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} |- |}

'''Feature film''' {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Director ! Producer ! Notes |- |2022 || ''The Whale'' || {{no}} || {{no}} || played Julian, Charlie’s student (uncredited) |- |2026 || ''Primetime'' || {{yes}} || {{yes}} |}

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|4565262}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oppenheim, Lance}} Category:American documentary filmmakers Category:Film directors from Florida Category:Living people Category:Harvard University alumni Category:English-language film directors Category:1996 births Category:Pine Crest School alumni