Known for Production
Sara Bernstein is an award-winning producer and Executive Vice President at Imagine Documentaries the newly launched documentary division of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's, Imagine Entertainment. Recent feature films she has executive produced include Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band (2019) and Dads (2019) which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Ron Howard-directed documentary film, Rebuilding Paradise (2020), for National Geographic Films, D.Wade: Life Unexpected (2020) for ESPN Films and the documentary feature film on legendary chef Julia Child, Julia (2021) directed by Academy Award nominees Julie Cohen and Betsy West. Prior to joining Imagine, Bernstein was Senior Vice President, HBO Documentary Films over seeing nonfiction development and production for HBO. Credits include Academy Award-winner Citizenfour (2014), Academy Award-winner Music by Prudence (2010), Academy Award nominees Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country (2008), Iraq In Fragments (2006), The Children of Leningradsky (2005), Poster Girl (2010). Emmy-nominated The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (2019), Emmy-nominated The Case Against Adnan Syed (2019), Judd Apatow's Emmy-winning The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling (2018), Emmy winners Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015), White Light, Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (2007) and Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012). Emmy-nominated The Case Against 8 (2014), Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures (2016), Chris Hegedus & D.A. Pennebaker's Emmy-nominated Unlocking The Cage (2016); Beware the Slenderman (2016), I Love You Now Die (2019) and Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017). Bernstein has garnered 10 Emmy wins, 29 Emmy nominations and 11 Peabody Awards. Documentaries she has supervised have garnered 2 Oscars and 13 Oscar nominations.
Filmography
60 films, 23 shows


Avedon
2026 · 1h 44m · US
Richard Avedon’s photographs didn’t just reflect culture, they shaped it, and continue to do so. The feature documentary AVEDON traces the life and legacy of an artist who used fashion, portraiture, and commercial photography to explore identity, power, fear and beauty. With unprecedented access to Avedon’s archive, including never before seen photos, behind the scenes recordings, and interviews with those who knew him best, AVEDON is a visually stunning examination of the mind of an artist who shaped our collective image of the 20th century.


Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing
2026 · 1h 35m · US
Following the highly publicized death of Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, the investigation continues into the once-iconic aviation giant, uncovering startling new revelations and insider accounts in the wake of a deepening corporate crisis..


Marty, Life Is Short
2026 · 1h 42m · US
Martin Short looks back on a life fueled by joy in this documentary with classic clips, fresh interviews and star-studded, never-before-seen home movies.


Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything
2025 · 1h 35m · US
Few American journalists have had a career as trailblazing and transformative as Barbara Walters, whose astonishing life and work are recounted in her own words in this raw, intimate, decades-spanning doc.


Pets
2025 · 1h 19m · US
Worldwide stories of human-animal bonds, following pet owners and rescuers with dogs, cats, pigs, goats and birds of prey. Features interviews, archives and viral clips showing people's connections with their animals.


Music by John Williams
2024 · 1h 46m · US
His unforgettable scores are an essential part of some of the most beloved movies of our time, over a career that spans decades. See and hear maestro John Williams' own story, with insights from filmmakers, musicians, and others he has inspired, complete with rare behind-the-scenes looks at the making of movie history.


Jim Henson Idea Man
2024 · 1h 48m · US
Featuring unprecedented access to Jim Henson's personal archives, filmmaker Ron Howard brings us a fascinating and insightful look at a complex man whose boundless imagination inspired the world.


Frida
2024 · 1h 27m · US
An intimately raw and magical journey through the life, mind, and heart of iconic artist Frida Kahlo. Told through her own words for the very first time — drawn from her diary, revealing letters, essays, and print interviews — and brought vividly to life by lyrical animation inspired by her unforgettable artwork.


Carlos
2023 · 1h 27m · US
This lively and intimately-crafted documentary immerses the audience in rock icon Carlos Santana's life and musical trajectory. Filmmaker Rudy Valdez bolsters this personal narrative with pulsating, never-before-seen footage — guided by Santana himself, in his own words.


Judy Blume Forever
2023 · 1h 37m · US
The radical honesty of the books by young adult fiction pioneer Judy Blume changed the way millions of readers understood themselves, their sexuality, and what it meant to grow up, but also led to critical battles against book banning and censorship.


The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari
2022 · 1h 37m · NZ
A close examination of the Whakaari / White Island volcanic eruption of 2019 in which 22 lives were lost, the film viscerally recounts a day when ordinary people were called upon to do extraordinary things, placing this tragic event within the larger context of nature, resilience, and the power of our shared humanity.


Personality Crisis: One Night Only
2022 · 2h 7m · US
A portrait of musician David Johansen from Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi featuring a live performance at Café Carlyle in New York City, where he performs as Buster Poindexter singing the Johansen songbook, along with new and archival interviews.


Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
2022 · 1h 44m · US
Never-before-heard personal recordings and archival footage tell the story of Louis Armstrong's life from his perspective. From musical phenom to civil rights activist to world-renowned artist, this illuminating film shows sides of Armstrong few have seen.


Leave No Trace
2022 · 1h 48m · US
In February 2022, the Boy Scouts of America reached a $2.7 billion agreement over sex abuse claims, the largest such settlement in history. Leave No Trace explores how this all-American institution went so horrifyingly wrong.


We Feed People
2022 · 1h 29m · US
We Feed People spotlights renowned chef José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen’s incredible mission and evolution over 12 years from being a scrappy group of grassroots volunteers to becoming one of the most highly regarded humanitarian aid organizations in the disaster relief sector.


Downfall: The Case Against Boeing
2022 · 1h 29m · US
Investigators reveal how Boeing’s alleged priority of profit over safety could have contributed to two catastrophic crashes within months of each other.


Paper & Glue
2021 · 1h 34m · US
A documentary following JR's artwork giving a global voice to everyday people.


Julia
2021 · 1h 35m · US
Using never-before-seen archival footage, personal photos, first-person narratives, and cutting-edge, mouth-watering food cinematography, the film traces Julia Child's surprising path, from her struggles to create and publish the revolutionary Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961) which has sold more than 2.5 million copies to date, to her empowering story of a woman who found fame in her 50s, and her calling as an unlikely television sensation.


D. Wade: Life Unexpected
2020 · 1h 36m · US
For a decade, Dwayne Wade intimately documented his life and career with a film crew. The result is a remarkably candid portrait of one of the greatest NBA players of all-time.


Rebuilding Paradise
2020 · 1h 28m · US
On November 8, 2018, a spark flew in the Sierra Nevada foothills, igniting the most destructive wildfire in California history and decimating the town of Paradise. Unfolding during the year after the fire, this is the story of the Paradise community as they begin to rebuild their lives.


War Dog: A Soldier's Best Friend
2017 · 1h 9m · US
This poignant documentary explores the unbreakable bond between multi-purpose K9s and their handlers.


Warning: This Drug May Kill You
2017 · 1h · US
A harrowing, unflinching look at the devastating effects of opioid addiction in the U.S. told from the perspectives of four families devastated by the deadly epidemic.


Suited
2016 · 1h 18m · US
Going deeper than fine fabrics and silk linings, Suited takes a modern, evolved look at gender through the conduit of clothing and elucidates the private and emotional experience surrounding it. With heart and optimism, the film documents a cultural shift that is creating a new demand—and response—for each person’s right to go out into the world with confidence.


The Education of Dee Dee Ricks
2011 · 1h 11m · US
The story of one woman's mission to defeat cancer and help others do the same.