Jonathan Berman began his film career as a production assistant on Pee Wee's Playhouse (along with Rob Zombie), and as an assistant editor at Troma Films, where he contributed to The Toxic Avenger, Pt 2. His first directorial effort was The Shvitz, a documentary which explored the unlikely patrons of the old time steambaths. My Friend Paul, his second directorial effort, premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival and has aired on the Sundance Channel and PBS stations. The film follows Berman and his childhood friend, Paul, a bipolar bank robber who has violated his parole.
Berman's work has screened theatrically at diverse festivals and venues including the Amsterdam Documentary Festival, the Hamptons International Film Festival, South By Southwest, the Munich Film Festival, and MOMA. He was co-story writer of On the Run, a comedy that featured Sopranos regulars Michael Imperioli and John Ventimiglia. Berman is currently developing a television series about spirituality and a dark comedy feature-length film.