Gabriela Cowperthwaite has been directing both documentaries and narrative films for over 20 years, rising to prominence with the 2013 release of Blackfish, which examined the plight of orcas and their trainers at SeaWorld. Blackfish quickly became one of the highest-grossing documentaries of all time, whilst giving rise to the expression the “Blackfish effect” – a label that described the film’s ability to permanently change SeaWorld’s practices and disrupt its business model, while changing captivity laws worldwide. Blackfish was shortlisted for an Academy Award; nominated for a BAFTA, a Broadcast Critics’ Awards, and an International Documentary Association Award; and won the Satellite Award for Best Feature. 

In early 2024, Gabriela’s space-station thriller, I.S.S., starring Chris Messina and Academy Award winner Arianna DeBose, premiered worldwide. Her critically acclaimed film Our Friend, starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson, and Jason Segel, was released in 2020. Based on a true-life story, Our Friend told the story of a couple struggling through a diagnosis alongside their best friend. Megan Leavey, which premiered in 2017, is based on the true-life story of a Marine corporal (Kate Mara) whose unique bond with her military combat dog saved many lives during their deployment in Iraq.

Last year, Gabriela helmed Children of the Underground, an FX/Hulu series highlighting Faye Yager, a woman who started a dark underground network that has been hiding children from their abusers for decades. The series was nominated in 2023 for an Independent Spirit Award for best documentary series.