Aaron Kaufman Dead: ‘Superpower’ Director Was 51

Aaron Kaufman, a writer, director and producer whose credits include “Superpower” and “Machete Kills,” died on Thursday evening in Las Vegas after suffering an apparent heart attack. He was 51.

Kaufman’s death was confirmed by Chad Verdi, the film financier behind “The Irishman” as well as several of Kaufman’s past and upcoming projects.

The Long Island native, who was Robert Rodriguez‘s longtime producing partner, is best known for co-directing with Sean Penn the Emmy-nominated documentary “Superpower,” which traced the political rise of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While Penn became the face of the 2023 documentary, it was Kaufman who had been on the ground in Ukraine in February 2022 when the ongoing war with Russia broke out. Kaufman had been in Kiev in the weeks leading up to Russia’s invasion and had been in the bunker with the Ukrainian leader during the perilous first days of the conflict. (Penn would arrive later to interview Zelenskyy for the documentary.)

With “Superpower,” Kaufman didn’t initially set out to direct a war movie. Instead, the film was meant to track Zelenskyy’s unusual trajectory from popular comedian to his place on the world stage after winning the presidential election in Ukraine in 2019. While promoting the film at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival, Kaufman said “Superpower” was “an opportunity to see what this guy was all about, to follow a path and see what the truth is. And that was so refreshing to me. It was intoxicating.”

In 2021, Kaufman turned his lens on the Jehovah’s Witnesses for the explosive Vice Studios docuseries “Crusaders,” which uncovered rampant abuses in the church. (The filmmaker was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness.)

Earlier in his career, the New York-based filmmaker relocated to Austin, where he worked with Robert Rodriguez, producing several of the Dimension director’s hit films including “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,” “Machete” and “Machete Kills.” He also wrote, directed and produced the 2016 thriller “Urge,” starring Pierce Brosnan, which was released by Lionsgate.

At the time of his death, Kaufman had a slew of projects in the works, including a documentary chronicling the life and trailblazing career of Hawaiian legend Don Ho as well as other films set in Ukraine, where he continued to visit. Kaufman recently signed on as a producer on the Jennifer Tiexiera-helmed documentary “The Jet,” which follows on the life of famed kickboxer Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. Kaufman joined fellow producers John Scalise, Keanu Reeves and Fisher Stevens on the Verdi-financed film that is in production.

Kaufman was a beloved fixture in New York’s filmmaking community. He frequently held court with fellow producers and crew at his favorite spot, the Mercer Hotel, near his apartment. He frequently collaborated with his girlfriend, actor Kea Ho, the daughter of Don Ho.

He is survived by his three children as well as his mother, brother and a sister.