2026 Documentary Film Festival

Justin Schein and Eden Wurmfeld met at a small café in San Francisco’s Mission District in the summer of 1994. At the time, Eden was producing her first independent film while supporting herself as a barista. Justin, drawn first by her coffee and then by her smile, found plenty of reasons to stop in every morning. Before long, they discovered they had attended elementary school together years earlier in New York City. Their relationship blossomed over cinema and cappuccinos, and they were married in New York in 2002. Since then, they have produced many films—and two sons.

Over the past three decades, Eden and Justin have worked on dozens of film projects, both together and independently. A common thread throughout their work is a commitment to exploring social issues through deeply personal, character-driven stories. Their collaborations include the feature documentaries No Impact Man (directed by Justin, produced by Eden), Left on Purpose (directed by Justin, produced by Eden), and Chasing Childhood (directed by Eden, with cinematography by Justin).

As a producer, Eden has been behind acclaimed independent narrative films including Kissing Jessica Stein and Swingers. More recently, she directed the acclaimed short documentary Classroom 4, which was shortlisted for the 2026 Academy Awards.

Justin’s latest feature documentary, Death & Taxes, screened at BIG ARTS this past spring. The film explores wealth, inheritance, and economic inequality through the story of his relationship with his late father, Harvey Schein, a longtime Sanibel resident. When he isn’t directing, Justin works as a cinematographer and has shot more than 60 films. He was the lead cinematographer on Crip Camp, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.