HEATHEN FILMS: In hot pursuit of the ineffable.

Heathen Films is the creative home of award-winning director Heath Cozens: a vehicle for bold, cinematic work exploring the threads that connect us all—from the intimate to the infinite, the gritty to the transcendent.

Drawn to strange beauty, profound humanity, and unexpected humor, Cozens works across documentary and beyond, telling stories of subcultures, unsung heroes, and iconoclasts who define themselves—and sometimes reality itself—on their own terms.

Richard Whittaker of The Austin Chronicle described Cozens’ work as “fearless, challenging, and touching in ways you will never see coming,” while J Hurtado of Screen Anarchy called Doglegs “by turns heart-wrenching and hilarious…” Jennifer Matsui of Counterpunch praised his ability to “alter perceptions at the molecular level,” and The Hollywood Reporter called his breakout film “always involving… deeply moving.” It is this passion to disrupt and engage—sometimes with raw, unfiltered mayhem, other times through transcendent beauty—that defines his approach.

Cozens’ work spans theatrical, broadcast, digital, and educational platforms, with screenings at Hot Docs, Fantastic Fest, and the Japan Prize, alongside global releases. His films have been featured on BBC, VICE, The Guardian, The Economist, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Reuters, and NHK.

His feature documentary Doglegs—an incendiary portrait of disabled pro wrestlers in Tokyo—premiered at Hot Docs 2015, won Best Director for Documentary Features at Fantastic Fest, and ran theatrically in Japan for six months. His longitudinal web series Family Strong, captured remotely during COVID, received major industry recognition, including five Tellys and four Communicators. He also co-directed and shot Only I Can Hear, a coming-of-age documentary about teens discovering identity as CODA (Children of Deaf Adults), which won the prestigious Japan Prize for Documentary.