Joel Zuker

Joel Zuker is a Lecturer in Film Studies at Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY), where he has taught since 1972. He has instructed courses in film history, theory, national cinemas (German, Italian, Japanese), film genres (silent comedy, film noir, western), and non-fiction film, previously coordinating the introductory film survey course.

His educational background includes:

• MA in Cinema Studies from New York University
• PhD in Cinema Studies from New York University

Dr. Zuker specializes in 20th-century American cinema with research spanning agit-prop art movements, director studies (Penn, Coppola, Brooks), and documentary production. His scholarship examines intersections of politics and film genres, particularly in left-wing artistic movements of the 1920s-1930s.

He has authored three books on filmmakers Ralph Steiner, Arthur Penn, and Francis Coppola, and is currently writing a monograph on Mel Brooks. Dr. Zuker secured PSC-CUNY grants for documentaries "Casino U" (Atlantic City gaming) and a study of the Mashentucket Nation's gaming impact. He founded a production company in 1996, developing screenplays including the optioned "Bakersfield" and adapting Robert van Gulik's mystery novel.