Bill Fishman is an award-winning writer, director, and producer whose work spans film, television, documentaries, and music videos. An American Film Institute graduate, he has directed hundreds of music videos for some of the world’s most iconic artists and earned major honors including MTV VMA and CMA awards.
He made his feature debut with the cult classic Tapeheads and has since produced and directed multiple films. His latest feature, Waltzing With Brando, was award-winning, Oscar-shortlisted, and released theatrically across the U.S. in 2025.
Bill is a prolific writer, director and producer who has, since graduating from the American Film Institute a long time ago, gone on to create hundreds of hours of programing for the use and enjoyment of the general public!
He’s directed and produced films, television, concerts, documentaries, commercials and many many hundreds of music videos for artists as varied as The Ramones, Counting Crows, Wilco, Van Halen, John Fogerty, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Mariah Carey, Train, St. Jhn, Carlos Santana, Halsey, Wiz Khalifa, The White Stripes, Backstreet Boys, Galantis, Michael Buble, George Clinton, Andy Grammer, Leslie Odom Jr., Lenny Kravitz, Bryan Adams and way too many more to remember. His first music video for Suicidal Tendencies’ “Institutionalized” was displayed in the Portland Museum of Art. His keen sense of humor and style earned him many awards such as the 2003 MTV V.M.A.’s Viewer’s Choice Award for Good Charlotte’s “Lifestyles Of The Rich & Famous” and the Country Music Association’s “Best Video” Award for two consecutive years for his work with Hank Williams Jr.
His filmmaking resume started with his big screen writing and directorial debut in 1988 with “Tapeheads,” a “cult classic” starring John Cusack and Tim Robbins, followed by “Car 54, Where Are You?”, “Desperate But Not Serious,”“My Dinner With Jimi” as well as producing many other films such as “Posse”, “Underdogs” and others Bill’s most recent feature film “Waltzing With Brando” recounts a little known but very fascinating period of Marlon Brando’s life starring Billy Zane, Jon Heder, Richard Dreyfuss, Camille Razat, Tia Carrere and others. The film was shot primarily in Tahiti, won many awards, was shortlisted for an Academy Award and was released in theatrically in the US in theaters nationwide in September 2025.