Winning one of two awards at Mystic Film Festival
Filming with President Baugh of Molossia
Joe filming on location in Alaska for the short film Prettier in Whittier
Working at WEWS-TV
Filmmaker, digital media creator, and artist, Joe Kowalski has written, directed, and edited feature films, short films, hundreds of Internet shorts, as well as countless commercials and promotional materials. He is based out of Cleveland, Ohio.
He is the director, producer, and co-editor of the feature documentary Micronations, about an eclectic group of people who attempt to create their own DIY sovereign countries.
The film premiered at Tribeca Festival in 2026 in the Viewpoints category for “the most boundary-pushing, rule-breaking new voices in independent film” and went on to win the Emerging Filmmaker Award at the 17th Chagrin Documentary Film Fest, Best Documentary and Audience Choice Documentary at Mystic Film Festival, and BIFF Boundary Breaker at the Buffalo International Film Festival. It had a special event screening hosted by The University of Toronto.
Joe’s documentary short film Prettier in Whittier (2026), about a small town in Alaska where almost everyone lives in the same apartment building, screened at festivals such as the BAFTA-qualifying Aesthetica and the Oscar-qualifying American Documentary and Animation Festival. It won Best Documentary and Audience Choice Documentary at Short. Sweet. Film Fest.
He was also one of the lead editors of the documentary film Mr. Football, editor on TV series such as Flite Test & WrestleHer (Documentary+) and was previous an editor for the morning news block at WEWS-TV.
Joe's work has allowed him to collaborate with creative people such as John Green (New York Times best-selling author)and Cecil Baldwin (Welcome to Night Vale). His work has also featured the likes of Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), the late Jonathan Demme (Oscar-winning director of The Silence of the Lambs), Gilbert Gottfried (Aladdin, Aflac), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Henry Winkler (Happy Days), former child actor Mara Wilson (Matilda), Damian Kulash of OKGo, James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Chef Buddy of Cake Boss, and many more.
Joe's adaption of I Am the Doorway was given the blessing of Stephen King. His 2016 film festival PRISM Fest featured short films from around the world that focused on the complexity of the human spirit. He has been featured in Smithsonian Magazine, Hollywood.com and Animation Magazine.
Joe's creative endeavors focus on adventurous yet empathetic ways of telling stories. He believes that making a connection with an audience requires extreme thought and care, as well as a deep respect for the viewer.
