Elaine Epstein is a South African-born documentary filmmaker who splits her time between Brooklyn and Cape Town. With a career spanning over two decades, she is known for crafting intimate, politically resonant stories that challenge dominant narratives and center marginalized voices.

Her early work includes State of Denial, a searing investigation into South Africa’s AIDS denialism during the Mbeki administration. The film premiered at Sundance, aired on PBS’s POV, and became a seminal work in the global health equity movement—widely credited with helping shift public discourse around access to treatment in the Global South.

Elaine’s body of work spans everything from reproductive justice and global health to powerful human experiences around the world—uncovering narratives that challenge convention, illuminate what connects us, and make the political personal, whether in rural clinics in East Africa or on the frontlines of queer activism in the U.S.

In 2008, she founded Underdog Films, a creative studio specializing in documentaries, branded content, and social impact campaigns. Through Underdog, she has directed and produced work for a wide range of commercial clients and non-profit organizations —bridging the worlds of storytelling, advocacy, and digital media.

Elaine returned to feature documentary filmmaking with ARREST THE MIDWIFE, which premiered at SXSW in 2025. She is currently expanding the film’s reach through an impact campaign focused on reproductive justice, while developing a follow-up project that explores an overlapping issue through a more personal—and sharply humorous—lens.