Biography

Josh Penn is a producer with Serenade and the Department of Motion Pictures. He has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture and Outstanding Producer at the Producers Guild Awards. He also won a Peabody Award and the Sundance Producers Award. Since 2012, he has premiered a dozen films at Sundance, earning six awards from the festival. His productions include "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Sundance Grand Jury Prize, Cannes Caméra d'Or, and four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture), "32 Sounds" (Oscar Shortlist), "Monsters and Men" (Sundance Special Jury Prize), the series "Philly D.A." (Gotham and Peabody Award winner), "A Thousand Thoughts," "Wendy," "Users" (Sundance Best Directors Award), "Oldest Person in the World," "Farewell Amor," and "The White House Effect" (Telluride, Netflix), among others. He served as Executive Producer on "Patti Cake$," "Western" (Sundance Special Jury Prize), and "Bloody Nose Empty Pockets" and a Co-Producer on "The Great Invisible" *(SXSW Grand Jury Prize). Josh has served on boards including the Documentary Producers Alliance, Brown Girls Doc Mafia Capacity Council, Rooftop Films, New Orleans Film Society, and Diversify.film. He has also mentored at institutions such as the Sundance Institute, Film Independent, NYU, and AFI. In 2017, the state of Louisiana officially recognized Josh as a Louisiana Ambassador for his contributions to the motion picture industry. In 2018, he became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Outside of film, Josh has worked in politics including leading roles on the digital teams for both Obama presidential campaigns.
- IMDb mini biography by: Department of Motion Pictures