Joel Souza

Joel Souza (born June 14, 1973) is an American film director and screenwriter.

Souza was initially inspired to become a filmmaker after viewing the Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

The thriller Crown Vic, which featured the life behind the wheel of a patrol car, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and received mixed reviews from critics, who noted substantial similarities between Crown Vic and the 2001 film Training Day.

On October 21, 2021, Souza was injured by a discharge from a prop gun fired by actor Alec Baldwin while filming Rust.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died in the incident.

Souza lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, and is married with two children.

As a writer and director, Souza debuted in 2010 with the family adventure film Hannah's Gold, starring Luke Perry.