Steal Away

Joan Meyerson has an extensive, award-winning career as a writer, producer, and director of documentaries and television programs, honored with two Writers Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Script (nominated for a third). Other awards include the Cine Golden Eagle, Chris Plaque (Columbus Film Festival), Blue Ribbon (American Film and Video Festival), and Bronze medal (New York Film Festival).
Born in Los Angeles, Joan Meyerson graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. She also studied at the University of Mexico and after graduation, at the Sorbonne in Paris.
When Meyerson returned from Paris, she found a summer job as an Associate Producer on a TV Talk Show. She met and booked everyone from Phyllis Diller to Ronald Reagan. It was exciting stuff, dealing with the drama of real events, far from her student life in the musty library stacks. At the end of the summer, she applied for an honorary leave of absence from Berkeley Graduate School. She has yet to return.
Her love of documentaries, television, and writing all came together with her next job at David L. Wolper Productions. Among her many Wolper credits were the Academy Award-nominated Say Goodbye and the series Legends, Icons & Superstars of the 20th Century.
Her credits evolved and diversified, from network children's programming to programs for French Television, and such US programs as ZooLife with Jack Hanna, The Hunt for Amazing Treasures, Painting with Elke Sommer, and Things That Go Bump.
Meyerson's PBS credits range from the special Michiyo and Kelly: A Quest for Education, to Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire (IDA best-limited series nomination). She also co-wrote and co-produced the PBS top-rated miniseries Walking the Bible and for many years, The National Memorial Day Concert, One of PBS’ top rated shows, she worked with vets and military families, sharing their stories as portrayed by such distinguished actors as Laurence Fishburne, Dianne Wiest, Gary Sinise, Joe Mantegna, and Blythe Danner.
Her work has taken her on location throughout the U.S. and to Japan, Iwo Jima, Vietnam, Mexico, Guatemala, England,and the Netherlands.
Meyerson is a long-time member of the Writers Guild of America West, served five terms on its Board of Directors, and was nominated to run for President of the Guild in 2015, honored to have such supporters as Larry Wilmore ("The Daily Show"), Melissa Rosenberg ("Twilight," "Jessica Jones") Winnie Holzman ("Wicked"), and Robin Schiff ("Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion"). Meyerson is a former board member of Women in Film, the International Documentary Association, and a member of the Directors Guild of America.