David Felix Sutcliffe

Biography

David Felix Sutcliffe is a two-time Emmy-Award winning producer dedicated to ambitious cinema that challenges colonial norms. His debut feature (T)ERROR (Sundance 2015, Netflix) exposed corrupt FBI entrapment tactics and won a Special Jury Prize at Sundance for Breakout First Feature, and an Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Documentary. His films have been distributed by Netflix, Hulu, IFC Films, POV, Independent Lens, BBC, Cinema Guild and CANAL+ and featured in The New York Times Magazine, the Guardian, CNN, This American Life and Democracy Now. In addition to Sundance, his work has received awards at SXSW, Tribeca, CPH:DOX, Blackstar, New Orleans Film Fest, Hot Docs and Full Frame, and funding support from the Sundance Documentary Fund, Ford Foundation, BBC Storyville, Field of Vision, among others. Named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film,” he is an Independent Spirit Award nominee and a former recipient of the International Documentary Association’s Emerging Filmmaker Award. Recent credits include Débora Souza Silva’s FOR OUR CHILDREN (Netflix, 2024), Sisa Bueno’s FOR VENIDA, FOR KALIEF (POV, 2026) and Contessa Gayles’ SONGS FROM THE HOLE (Netflix, 2025), winner of Audience Awards for Best Documentary at SXSW, New Orleans Film Festival, the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at Blackstar Film Festival and Sing Sing Film Festival, and an Emmy for Outstanding Art Direction. Sutcliffe also co-produced Rodrigo Reyes’ 499 (Tribeca 2020, Cinema Guild), and was a consulting producer on Jonathan Olshefski’s QUEST (Sundance 2017, POV) and Stephen Maing’s CRIME + PUNISHMENT (Sundance 2018, Hulu). He is currently producing Daniel Chein and Mushiva’s TIME HUNTER and Khaula Malik’s ALIEN NATION, both supported by the Sundance Institute. David grew up in a mixed-race, working-class family in upstate New York and is an alum of the Anne Braden Anti-Racist Training for White Organizers. He is a new(ish) father and loves to dance.