Charlie Polinger is a NY-based filmmaker and theater director. He has directed a diverse range of projects, including Cory Finley’s THE PRIVATE SECTOR, Deb Margolin’s TURQOUISE, and Marina Keegan’s folk-rock musical INDEPENDENTS, which was awarded Best Overall Production at the NYC Fringe Festival and listed as a New Times Critics Pick during its Off-Broadway run. He was named a Future of Storytelling Fellow by Melcher Media. His production of Independents won the NY Fringe Festival before running off-broadway. He graduated from the AFI Directing Conservatory, where his film, A Place to Stay, won the ASC Award for best cinematography. His films have played at Warsaw, Palm Springs, Nashville, Rhode Island, New Orleans and Athens, all Oscar-qualifying festivals. He is in pre-production for his directorial feature debut, The Plague.