Joe Swanberg is an American independent filmmaker. Known for micro-budget films which make extensive use of improvisation, Swanberg is considered a major figure in the mumblecore film movement. His films often focus on relationships, sex, technology, and the filmmaking process. He is also known for his early collaborations with Greta Gerwig.
Early life Swanberg was born in Detroit, Michigan and raised in Georgia, California, Kwajalein, Marshall Islands and Alabama. He graduated from Naperville Central High School in suburban Chicago and attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale as a film major, earning a bachelor's degree in 2003. As a teenager, he worked at Hollywood Video.
Career In 2005, Swanberg wrote, directed, edited, shot, produced, and starred in Kissing on the Mouth, his first feature film, for a modest budget. He followed it with LOL (2006), which marked Swanberg's first time working with actress Greta Gerwig. Gerwig and Swanberg collaborated on the director's next two features: Hannah Takes the Stairs (2007), which also starred filmmakers Andrew Bujalski, Ry Russo-Young, and Mark Duplass and marked Swanberg's first collaboration with animator and actor Kent Osborne; and Nights and Weekends (2008), on which Gerwig shared a directing credit. Swanberg's next feature, Alexander the Last, was produced by Noah Baumbach, who later cast Gerwig in his 2010 film Greenberg.
After spending all of 2009 working on Silver Bullets, Swanberg finished seven features in 2010: Uncle Kent, Caitlin Plays Herself, The Zone, Art History, Silver Bullets, Privacy Setting and Autoerotic (co-directed with horror filmmaker Adam Wingard). Uncle Kent premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2011 and Silver Bullets and Art History premiered at the Berlinale in February. The rest of the 2010 films premiered theatrically in 2011 after screenings at film festivals. Four of these were later included in Joe Swanberg: Collected Films 2011, a DVD boxed set from the music and video label Factory 25.
In 2012, Swanberg wrote and directed the film Drinking Buddies, starring Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick and Ron Livingston. The film was acquired by Magnolia Pictures shortly after its SXSW premiere.
The following year. Swanberg shot Happy Christmas, starring himself, Melanie Lynskey, Lena Dunham, and Anna Kendrick. This was the first of his films to be shot on 16mm film, rather than digitally.4:3 Happy Christmas: An Interview with Writer/Director Joe Swanberg. 4:3 The film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
His next film as director was Digging for Fire, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and stars Jake Johnson. The film was released on August 21, 2015, by The Orchard.
Swanberg wrote, directed, and produced Easy, an anthology series for Netflix. The series premiered in 2016 and ran for three seasons, ending in 2019. Easy featured many of Swanberg's frequent collaborators from his films, including Jake Johnson, Joe Lo Truglio, and Nicky Excitement.
In 2017, Swanberg and Jake Johnson co-wrote Win It All. Johnson stars with Aislinn Derbez, Joe Lo Truglio and Keegan-Michael Key. The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 11, 2017. It was released on April 7, 2017, by Netflix.
Swanberg is a noted proponent of Internet-based distribution for independent films and has made his 2011 feature Marriage Material available for free on his Vimeo page. He also released his 2020 feature, Build the Wall, starring Kent Osborne and Jane Adams, on his Vimeo page.
In 2021, Swanberg opened Analog Pizza and Video Store, a VHS video rental shop in the back room of Borelli's Pizzeria in Chicago.
In 2024, it was announced that he is working on a slate of five horror-themed feature films for Yale Entertainment. Swanberg confirmed at SXSW that all five features will be released by Cineverse through their Screambox streaming service in 2026.
In August 2025, it was reported that Swanberg would direct his first feature in a decade, The Sun Never Sets, starring Jake Johnson and Dakota Fanning. The movie had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 13, 2026.
Influences Swanberg cites Elaine May, Paul Mazursky, Lars von Trier, Marco Ferreri, and Eric Rohmer as primary influences on his work.
Filmography Film Year Film Director Writer Producer Editor Cinematographer Notes 2005 Kissing on the Mouth 2006 LOL 2007 Hannah Takes the Stairs 2008 Nights and Weekends Co-directed with Greta Gerwig 2009 Alexander the Last Co-produced with Noah BaumbachIt Was Great but I Was Ready to Come Home 2010 11/4/08 Documentary film Open Five 2011 Uncle Kent What Fun We Were Having: 4 Stories About Date Rape Silver Bullets Also sound Caitlin Plays Herself Autoerotic Co-directed with Adam Wingard, also special make-up effects Art History The Zone 2012 V/H/S Segment: "The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger", also sound designer of the segment Marriage Material All the Light in the Sky 2013 Drinking Buddies 24 Exposures 2014 Happy Christmas 2015 Digging for Fire Queen of EarthAlso associate producerBloomin Mud ShuffleLace Crater 2017 Win It All 2020 The Rental Build the Wall 2023The Becomers2024Invader Stars as "Invader" role2026 The Sun Never Sets Post-productionYellow EyesVOD
As executive producer YearFilm 2015 Uncle Kent 2 2016 Little Sister 2017 Person to Person Golden Exits 2018 Madeline's Madeline 2019 Sword of Trust Depraved Holy Trinity
Short film YearFilm Director Writer Producer Cinematographer Editor 2003 Mikey 2005 Hissy Fits 2006 Thanks for the Ad! 2008 Swedish Blueballs About Film Festivals Ginger Sand 2009 Birthday Suit One Shot Film 2010 The World of Film Festivals 2012 Stray Bullets 2013 Privacy Setting
Acting roles Year Film Role Notes 2005 Kissing on the Mouth Patrick 2006 LOL Tim Young American Bodies Ben TV series 2007 Hohokam The Jeffery Quiet City Adam 2008 Present Company Archibald King Nights and Weekends James 2009 You Wont Miss Me Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever Hazmat Team The Mountain, the River and the Road Tom 2010 Everyone Says I Look Just Like Her Brandon A Horrible Way to Die Kevin Blackmail Boys Andrew Kenneth Tucker Audrey the Trainwreck Jeremy Roth 2011 Uncle Kent Joe Silver Bullets Ethan Caitlin Plays Herself Joe Autoerotic Art History Sam You're Next Drake Davison The Zone Joe 2012 The Kings of Yorktown Bartender V/H/S Sam Segment: "Second Honeymoon" Marriage Material Joe 2013 Detonator Sid Drinking Buddies Angry Car Guy White Reindeer George The Sacrament Jake Proxy Patrick Michaels 2014 Happy Christmas Jeff Thou Wast Mild and Lovely Akin Empire Builder The Husband 2015 There Toth Uncle Kent 2 Joe Bloomin Mud Shuffle Brock Lace Crater Dean 2016 Joshy Aaron 2017 XX Singing Panda Segment "The Birthday Party" 2021 Offseason George Darrow 2024 Invention John 2024 Invader Invader
Television YearFilm Director Writer Producer Editor Notes 2006–2009 Young American Bodies 23 episodesWebseriesAlso creator, cinematographer and camera operator 2014 Looking Episode "Looking in the Mirror" 2016–2017 Love 3 episodes 2016–2019 Easy 25 episodesAlso creator 2019 Soundtrack 2 episodes
References
External links Official site
GreenCine: "More excited than I have ever been": Interview with Joe Swanberg indieWIRE INTERVIEW: Joe Swanberg, director of "LOL" Filmmaker Magazine: What I Meant to Say
Joe Swanberg, Hell Is For Hyphenates, August 31, 2014