Roddy Bogawa's work is known for its investigation of history and culture via lyrical lo-fi means and innovative narrative structures. He studied art and played in punk bands before turning to film-making. He received his MFA from the University of California at San Diego, where he made his first two short films, which have screened extensively in festivals, museums, and national and international art galleries. His more recent short films have been featured in the New York Film Festival, Oberhausen Festival Internationale, the Black Maria Film and Video Festival (Director's Choice Prize), Whitney Museum of American Art, Guggenheim Museum, and the Cinematexas Short Film Festival. Bogawa is an associate professor at New Jersey City University. He was a Pew Fellowships panelist in 2009.