February 16, 2026, ZiPPORAH FILMS, INC. announced with "great sadness" that they and the Wiseman family are making arrangements after the passing of filmmaker, producer, theater director Frederick Wiseman. Wiseman was 96 and died peacefully on February 16th. At the time of his passing, he considered Cambridge, MA, Northport, ME and Paris, France his homes.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1930, Wiseman graduated from Williams College and Yale Law School. He began filmmaking in the mid-1960's. He explored the nuances of institutional life, challenging his audiences to form their own interpretations. His work in 1967 Titicut Follies to his most recent work in 2023 Menue Plaisirs-Les Troisgros is complex, narrative powered and with a humanist gaze. In 2015, he made the documentary JACKSON HEIGHTS that has been called some of his greatest work. The film documents events in Jackson Heights such as diverse communities, local politics, and activists' organizations in the New York City neighborhood. Jackson Heights won a New York Film Critics Award for Best Non-Fiction Film in 2015. It was named the thirtieth "Best Film of the 21st Century So Far" by the New York Times. In all, he produced and directed 45 films under the banner of Zipporah Films, Inc.

Mr. Wiseman was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Zipporah Batshaw Wiseman, who passed away in 2021. He is survived by his two sons, David (Jennifer) and Eric (Kristen Stowell), and three grandchildren, Benjamin, Charlie and Tess, as well as Karen Konicek, his friend and collaborator, who worked with Fred for 45 years.

A celebration of his life will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family and Zipporah Films kindly request that you support your local PBS affiliate or independent bookstore in Fredrick Wiseman's memory. Messages of condolence for the family can be sent to the Zipporah Films office at 32 Widgeon Cove Lane, Harpswell, Maine 04079 or info@zipporah.com.