Joel Souza (born June 14, 1973)[1] is an American film director and screenwriter.
[2] Souza was initially inspired to become a filmmaker after viewing the Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
[3] As a writer and director, Souza debuted in 2010 with the family adventure film Hannah's Gold, starring Luke Perry.
The thriller Crown Vic, which featured the life behind the wheel of a patrol car, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival,[4][5] and received mixed reviews from critics, who noted substantial similarities between Crown Vic and the 2001 film Training Day.
[6] On October 21, 2021, Souza was injured by a discharge from a prop gun fired by actor Alec Baldwin while filming Rust.