Elaine Epstein

Biography

Elaine Epstein is a South African-born documentary filmmaker who splits her time between Brooklyn and Cape Town. Over the past two decades, she’s built a career telling intimate, socially engaged stories that challenge dominant narratives and center underrepresented voices.

Her first feature documentary, State of Denial, examined AIDS denialism during South Africa’s Mbeki administration. The film premiered at Sundance, aired on PBS’s POV, and contributed to broader conversations around global health equity and access to treatment.

Elaine’s work has explored a wide range of subjects—from reproductive justice and public health to LGBTQ+ activism and community-led resistance—always with an ey...