Biography
Sean S. Cunningham (born Sean Sexton Cunningham) is an American film director, producer and writer. He was born on 31 December 1941 in New York City and raised in Connecticut. He graduated from Franklin and Marshall College and earned an MFA from Stanford University. Early in his career he worked as a stage manager and actor, and as a producer for theatre companies including Lincoln Center and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Cunningham entered feature films in the early 1970s. While editing his second film he met Wes Craven, and he produced Craven’s directorial debut The Last House on the Left (1972). He directed and produced the slasher film Friday the 13th (1980), which became a major commercial success and launched a long-running franchise. He has continued to produce entries in the series, including Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), Jason X (2001), Freddy vs. Jason (2003) and the 2009 reboot, as well as other horror films such as the House series. He is the founder and CEO of Crystal Lake Entertainment.
In 2025 Cunningham received the Time Machine Award at the Sitges Film Festival.
