New York · Worldwide
Director · Executive Producer · Showrunner
Five-time Emmy-nominated director creating premium nonfiction, branded entertainment, and cinematic storytelling for global platforms and brands.
National Geographic · Disney+ · Netflix · Prada · Delta · WSJ.
Selected work · Across story and culture
From remote expeditions and investigative series to global brand films and immersive installations, every project begins with trust and ends with clarity.
01 Watch projectDisney+ · National Geographic
Premium nonfiction · Expedition series
Alex Honnold leads an expedition to Greenland to climb a 4,000-foot sea cliff and investigate how climate change is transforming the region.
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02 Watch projectPrada · Venice Biennale
Immersive film · Cultural installation
More than 140 hours of interviews shaped into a 32-screen experience—bringing film, design, complex ideas, and technical storytelling together at architectural scale.
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03 Watch projectNational Geographic
Investigative documentary · Series
An original documentary series entering hidden economies and underground networks through rare access, human-centered reporting, and cinematic control.
View projectMore selected work · 04—09
04Delta Air Lines
Nonstop ScoutingBranded sports series↗05Citizens Bank
The Living Portrait of NYCImmersive film↗06WSJ. Magazine
Innovator AwardsVirtual awards film↗07Netflix
Countdown: Inspiration4Documentary series↗National Geographic
Warlords of IvoryInvestigative filmDiscovery
Deadliest CatchNonfiction seriesThe intersection
The strongest films do both: they hold an audience and move an idea. J.J. works where premium nonfiction, cultural storytelling, and ambitious brands meet—translating complexity into work that feels immediate, human, and built to last.
About J.J.
J.J. Kelley is a five-time Emmy-nominated director, creative producer, and showrunner working across premium nonfiction, branded entertainment, and cinematic storytelling.
His work spans National Geographic, Disney+, Netflix, Discovery, Prada, Apple, Outside, Citizens, Delta Air Lines, and WSJ. Magazine. He works in complicated worlds—remote environments, technical systems, cultural institutions, global brands, and high-pressure situations—shaping stories that feel emotionally direct and visually precise.
Across formats, the focus remains the same: earn trust, distill complexity, and create films with cinematic control and human impact.
Directing · Creative partnerships · Commissioned projects
New York, NY · Available worldwide