Frederick Wiseman, an American filmmaker, died on February 16, 2026, at age 96.
Born in Boston in 1930, he worked as a documentarian, theater director, editor, actor, producer, director and writer from 1963 to 2025. His films focused on American institutions and social and economic issues in the United States.
Among his best-known documentaries were Titicut Follies, Hospital, Welfare and In Jackson Heights. He also directed High School, Law and Order, Model, Missile, Ballet, State Legislature, La Danse, Boxing Gym, National Gallery, Ex Libris: The New York Public Library, Monrovia, Indiana, City Hall and Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros. Wiseman directed two narrative films, La Dernière Lettre and A Couple, and received an Academy Honorary Award in 2016.
Frederick Wiseman (January 1, 1930 – February 16, 2026) was an American filmmaker, documentarian, theater director, editor, and actor. His work primarily explored American institutions. His most notable documentaries include Titicut Follies (1967), Hospital (1970), Welfare (1975), and In Jackson Heights (2015). His films were noted for their dramatic structure despite appearing to eschew narrative devices and for tackling social and economic issues in the United States.