Cultrera, Joe

Filmmaker Joe Cultrera spent 20 years in the documentary film world — “Frontline” aired his documentary “Hand of God” in 2007 — before he moved from New York back to his hometown of Salem six years ago. He says he knew dozens of skilled filmmakers eager to get their work in front of an audience.

Cultrera decided to change that. He teamed with Paul Van Ness, owner of the independent theater CinemaSalem, and launched the all-documentary Salem Film Fest in 2008.

Joe Cultrera has a production company, Zingerplatz Pictures and his work has been boadcast on network, cable and public television. He directed and edited the award-winning Hand of God about child abuse within the catholic clergy, and Witch City, chronicling Salem's present-day incarnation, which he has called the "Disneyfication of American history in Salem". His other documentary is about the leather industry. It is called Leather Soul: Working for a Life in a Factory Town. It is the story of the evolution of Peabody, Massachusetts' leather tanning industry

See Also

Legendary locals of Salem Curley, Malcolm, Dionne, p. 111

Zingerplatz Pictures Cultrera's production company

"Cast in a bad light? Witch City, a documentary that takes a not-so-king look at Salem during Halloween" Salem Evening News, Nov. 15, 1996, p. 1

"Salem film has witches talking (Witch City documentary)" Salem Evening News, Oct. 24, 1997, p. C3

"Film views the pitfalls of Witch City hype" Boston Sunday Globe, Mar. 9, 1997, p.N3