Billy Corben

Directing

Billy Corben

William Cohen (born 1978), better known by the stage name Billy Corben, is an American documentary film director. As a co-founder of the Miami-based studio Rakontur, along with producing partner Alfred Spellman, he has created films such as Cocaine Cowboys, Dawg Fight, and ESPN's 30 for 30 The U and The U Part 2.

Known For

From Russia with LevFrom Russia with Lev · 2024
From Russia with Lev
8.22024
MovieDocumentaryCrime
A documentary exploring Lev Parnas' involvement in the Trump-Ukraine scandal that resulted in the former president's impeachment, detailing Parnas' unexpected entanglement with Trump and Giuliani, leading to his incarceration.
Dawg FightDawg Fight · 2015
Dawg Fight
6.42015
MovieDocumentary
In a crime-plagued neighborhood near Miami, brutal, bare-knuckled backyard fights give young men a chance to earn money -- and self-respect.
537 Votes537 Votes · 2020
537 Votes
7.12020
MovieDocumentary
Documentary chronicling the political machinations that led to the unprecedented, contested outcome of the 2000 presidential election, including the chaotic voter recount in Florida that ended with George W. Bush winning by a razor-thin margin.
StepmonsterStepmonster · 1993
Stepmonster
4.51993
MovieHorrorComedy
Todd Dougherty has an imagination driven by comic books. So when he accuses his soon-to-be stepmother of being a monster, no one believes him. When neighbors start turning up dead, it becomes a race against time for Todd to stop this hideous, carnivorous creature from marrying his dad and ruining his life.
God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a DynastyGod Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty · 2022
God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty
6.02022
MovieDocumentary
A Miami pool boy finds himself trapped in a seven-year affair with a charming older woman and her husband, the evangelical Trump stalwart Jerry Falwell Jr., as he becomes increasingly entangled with the Falwells' seemingly perfect lives.
Archie: To Riverdale and Back AgainArchie: To Riverdale and Back Again · 1990
Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
7.31990
MovieTV MovieComedy
The classic comic characters return, partaking in their Riverdale High 15th anniversary reunion! But when Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe is under the danger of being closed down for good, Archie, along with his pals n' gals, find a way to help out their friend and keep the youth of Riverdale intact with a good burger and milkshake!
The UThe U · 2009
The U
7.12009
MovieDocumentary
Throughout the 1980s, Miami, Florida, was at the center of a racial and cultural shift taking place throughout the country. Overwhelmed by riots and tensions, Miami was a city in flux, and the University of Miami football team served as a microcosm for this evolution. The image of the predominantly white university was forever changed when coach Howard Schnellenberger scoured some of the toughest ghettos in Florida to recruit mostly black players for his team. With a newly branded swagger, inspired and fueled by the quickly growing local Miami hip hop culture, these Hurricanes took on larger-than-life personalities and won four national titles between 1983 and 1991. Filmmaker Billy Corben, a Miami native and University of Miami alum, will tell the story of how these “Bad Boys” of football changed the attitude of the game they played, and how this serene campus was transformed into “The U.”
Cocaine CowboysCocaine Cowboys · 2006
Cocaine Cowboys
7.32006
MovieDocumentary
In the 1980s, ruthless Colombian cocaine barons invaded Miami with a brand of violence unseen in this country since Prohibition-era Chicago - and it put the city on the map. "Cocaine Cowboys" is the true story of how Miami became the drug, murder and cash capital of the United States, told by the people who made it all happen.

Filmography

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The UThe U · 2009
The U
7.12009
MovieDocumentary
Throughout the 1980s, Miami, Florida, was at the center of a racial and cultural shift taking place throughout the country. Overwhelmed by riots and tensions, Miami was a city in flux, and the University of Miami football team served as a microcosm for this evolution. The image of the predominantly white university was forever changed when coach Howard Schnellenberger scoured some of the toughest ghettos in Florida to recruit mostly black players for his team. With a newly branded swagger, inspired and fueled by the quickly growing local Miami hip hop culture, these Hurricanes took on larger-than-life personalities and won four national titles between 1983 and 1991. Filmmaker Billy Corben, a Miami native and University of Miami alum, will tell the story of how these “Bad Boys” of football changed the attitude of the game they played, and how this serene campus was transformed into “The U.”

Director

BrokeBroke · 2012
Broke
6.22012
MovieDocumentary
According to a 2009 Sports Illustrated article, 60 percent of former NBA players are broke within five years of retirement. By the time they have been retired for two years, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress. Sucked into bad investments, stalked by freeloaders, saddled with medical problems, and naturally prone to showing off, many pro athletes get shocked by harsh economic realities after years of living the high life. Drawing surprisingly vulnerable confessions from retired stars like Keith McCants, Bernie Kosar and Andre Rison, as well as Marvin Miller, the former executive director of the MLB Players Association, this fascinating documentary digs into the psychology of men whose competitive nature can carry them to victory on the field and ruin off it.

Producer

Cocaine Cowboys: ReloadedCocaine Cowboys: Reloaded · 2014
Cocaine Cowboys: Reloaded
7.22014
MovieDocumentaryCrime
In the 1980s, ruthless Colombian cocaine barons invaded Miami with a brand of violence unseen in this country since Prohibition-era Chicago. Cocaine Cowboys is the true story of how Miami became the drug, murder and cash capital of the United States. But it isn't the whole story - Pulling from hundreds of hours of additional interviews and recently uncovered archival news footage, Cocaine Cowboys has been RELOADED: packed with footage and stories that have never been told about Griselda Blanco, the Medellín Cartel, and Miami's Cocaine Wars, with firsthand accounts by hit man Jorge 'Rivi' Ayala, cocaine trafficker Jon Roberts, smuggler Mickey Munday, and others. Cocaine Cowboys: Reloaded recreates Miami's Cocaine Wars like you've never experienced it.

Director

Collision Course: The Murder of Don AronowCollision Course: The Murder of Don Aronow · 2013
Collision Course: The Murder of Don Aronow
6.02013
MovieDocumentary
In the 1980's, powerboat racing was to Miami what polo was to Palm Beach: a sport for the rich with an insatiable appetite for speed and adventure. To this day, the most famous brand names associated with power boating were the creation of Don Aronow - Cigarette, Formula, Donzi, Blue Thunder. Aronow was a handsome family man who moved to Miami after making a fortune in New Jersey construction, but soon became world famous as a champion boat racer and international businessman, selling boats and fostering close personal relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world. But in Miami in the 1980's, the most formidable group with a need for speed on the water who also could afford the astronomical sticker prices on Don Aronow¹s Go-Fast boats were drug smugglers. "Collision Course: The Murder of Don Aronow" recounts the rarely told fast life and times of one of the world¹s most intriguing adventurers and explores, Don Aronow.

Director

L.A. LawL.A. Law · 1986
L.A. Law
7.11986
SeriesDramaWar & Politics
L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it contained many of Bochco's trademark features including a large number of parallel storylines, social drama and off-the-wall humor. It reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s, and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot-topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights, homophobia, sexual harassment, AIDS, and domestic violence. The series often also reflected social tensions between the wealthy senior lawyer protagonists and their less well-paid junior staff. The show was popular with audiences and critics, and won 15 Emmy Awards throughout its run, four of which were for Outstanding Drama Series.

Alexander Brackman

Dear JohnDear John · 1988
Dear John
5.71988
SeriesComedy
Dear John starred Judd Hirsch as easygoing Drake Prep high school teacher John Lacey who is dumped by his wife, Wendy, via a Dear John letter. Wendy ends up with everything in the divorce settlement, including custody of the couple's son, forcing John to move into an apartment in Ozone Park, Queens. John soon joins the One-2-One Club, a self help group for divorced, widowed or lonely people. The group is led by Louise (Jane Carr), a sex-obsessed British woman. Other members of the group include Kate McCarron (Isabella Hofmann), a sweet divorcée; Kirk Morris (Jere Burns), a cocky ladies' man; Ralph Drang (Harry Groener), a shy and neurotic tollbooth collector; Bonnie Philbert (Billie Bird), a feisty senior citizen; and Tom, Mrs. Philbert's quiet boyfriend (Tom Willett).

Matthew Lacey