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The Stamp Thief

From an Oscar, Peabody, and Emmy award-winning team, “The Stamp Thief” is part detective story, part heist film, and part untold history. The documentary investigates a tale dating back to the Holocaust: that a mysterious Nazi stole priceless stamp collections from concentration camp victims and buried the stolen stamps in a small town in Poland. Embarking on a real-life “Argo”-like adventure, one-time “Seinfeld” producer Gary Gilbert sets out to confirm the story and recover the stamps. His tactic: a fake movie shoot. His goal: to return the stamps to their rightful owners, hopefully delivering a small measure of justice more than 70 years after the Holocaust.

  • Dan Sturman
    Director
    Four Winters, Twin Towers, Nanking, Soundtrack For A Revolution
  • Dylan Nelson
    Producer
    Merchants of Doubt, The Hollywood Complex, Nanking, Soundtrack For A Revolution
  • Gary Gilbert
    Producer
    Seinfeld; Sister, Sister
  • Dan Sturman
    Producer
    Twin Towers, Nanking, Soundtrack For A Revolution
  • Betsy Zajko
    Key Cast
  • James Felix Cook
    Key Cast
  • Laura Putney
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    El ladrón de estampillas
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    Investigative, History, Holocaust, Jewish
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 43 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 8, 2025
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, Germany, Poland, United States
  • Language:
    English, German, Polish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Palm Springs International Film Festival
    Palm Springs
    United States
    January 9, 2025
    World Premiere
  • Miami Jewish Film Festival
    Miami
    United States
    January 20, 2025
  • Cleveland International Film Festival
    Cleveland
    United States
    March 28, 2025
  • Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente
    Buenos Aires
    Argentina
    April 2, 2025
    International Premiere
  • Calgary Underground Film Festival
    Calgary
    Canada
    April 19, 2025
    Canadian Premiere
Distribution Information
  • Dan Sturman
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Dan Sturman

DAN STURMAN – DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
Dan’s work includes the 9/11 documentary “Twin Towers,” which won an Academy Award in 2003; the Sundance, Peabody, and Emmy award-winning documentary “Nanking,” which was short-listed for an Academy Award, released theatrically, and sold to HBO Documentary Films; “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” which was also short-listed for an Academy Award, released theatrically, and broadcast on PBS; and "Four Winters," which had its premiere at Lincoln Center at the New York Jewish Film Festival. His films have shown at festivals around the world, including Cannes, Sundance, Hong Kong, Hot Docs, and Tribeca, and have received special screenings at the White House, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.

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Director Statement

Our film investigates an unsolved mystery that dates back to the Holocaust, but the story is ultimately about the legacy of the Holocaust and how that legacy reverberates today. With far-right, nationalist movements and antisemitism on the rise globally, this story feels especially timely and important to tell now. The lessons of the Holocaust are being forgotten. We want to combat this dangerous historical amnesia by making a film that appeals to the broadest possible audience. And so we’ve crafted “The Stamp Thief” in the guise of a heist movie in order to tell a never-before-told story of the Holocaust in a uniquely dramatic and accessible way. We hope that by setting out to entertain viewers first and foremost, we will also educate and move them.