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Abel Ferrara

Directing Born Jul 19, 1951 The Bronx, New York, USA 24 credits

Biography

Abel Ferrara (Italian: [ferˈraːra]; born July 19, 1951) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for the provocative and often controversial content in his movies and his use and redefinition of neo-noir imagery. A long-time independent filmmaker, some of his best known movies include the New York-set, gritty crime thrillers The Driller Killer (1979), Ms .45 (1981), King of New York (1990), Bad Lieutenant (1992), and The Funeral (1996), chronicling violent crime in urban settings with spiritual overtones.

Ferrara also worked in a wide array of genres, including the sci-fi remake Body Snatchers (1993), cyberpunk thriller New Rose Hotel (1998), the religious drama Mary (2005), the black comedy Go Go Tales (2007), and the biopic Pasolini (2014), as well as in several documentary filmmaking projects.

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Known for

Film

Marty Supreme

as Ezra Mishkin

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

as Self
Film

Ms .45

as 1st Rapist

Full filmography

  • Marty Supreme (2025) as Ezra Mishkin
  • Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2013) as Self
  • Ms .45 (1981) as 1st Rapist
  • Black Butterfly (2017) as Pat
  • Plankton Salesmen (2017) as Self (archive footage)
  • Don Peyote (2014) as Taxi Cab Driver
  • Don Peyote (2014) as Manhattan Cab Driver
  • The Driller Killer (1979) as Reno Miller
  • At Sundance (1995) as Self
  • Odyssey in Rome (2005)
  • The App (2019)
  • Chelsea on the Rocks (2008) as Self
  • Sculpt (2016)
  • Balkan Spirit (2013) as Self - Director
  • Water and Sugar – Carlo Di Palma: The Colours of Life (2017) as Self
  • Daddy Longlegs (2010) as Robber
  • Judas' Gospel (2025) as Herodes
  • Cannes: All Access (2007) as Self
  • A Talent For Trouble (2018) as Self
  • Mulberry St. (2010) as Self
  • Abel Ferrara: Not Guilty (2003) as Self
  • Abel/Asia (1998) as Self
  • Sportin' Life (2020) as Self
  • Alive in France (2018) as Self