Joshua Seftel

President of Smartypants Productions

Joshua Seftel is a 2017 Peabody Awards Finalist and Emmy nominee for his Vox series Secret Life of Muslims. The set of timely and poignant documentaries has had more than 37 million views since Election Day. His 2016 award-winning documentary The Many Sad Fates of Mr. Toledano premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was the most viewed New York Times Op-Doc of the year.

Seftel is best known for directing the political satire War, Inc., starring John Cusack, Ben Kingsley, Joan Cusack, and Marisa Tomei, as well as the Emmy-winning landmark series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Seftel is a contributor to the Peabody Award-winning program This American Life, and his essays have appeared on NPR, The New York Times, and CBS Sunday Morning. Seftel is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker. His films include Lost and Found (PBS), Taking on the Kennedys (POV), Ennis’ Gift (HBO), The Home Team (SXSW). He frequently directs commercials for clients including the Clio Award-winning Truth anti-smoking campaign, Delta Air Lines, Lincoln Motor Company, Macy’s, and Liberty Mutual.