Personal details
- Birth Date: 1973-06-14
- Birth Location: Fremont, California, USA
- Professions: Writer, Director, Producer
Joel Souza’s got that Bay Area grit running through his veins, you know? He’s not just another director poking at the world from behind a camera—this guy actually lives it. Out in San Francisco, wrangling life with his wife and two kids, Joel’s the kind of person who knows a thing or two about chaos and keeping your head above water. So when he decided to dive into the world of “Crown Vic,” he wasn’t playing it safe. Forget your shiny cop dramas where everyone’s got perfect hair. “Crown Vic” is all about the real grime—those long, wild nights riding shotgun with the kinds of cops who barely blink when things spiral out of control. Joel wrote and directed the whole deal, and you can just tell he poured everything into it. The film doesn’t sugarcoat a thing. It’s gritty, tense, and honestly, a little raw. You’re seeing everything through a windshield that’s seen better days, and the city’s not exactly rolling out the red carpet for these guys. Joel’s debut in the big leagues isn’t some polished Hollywood fairytale. It’s more like a punchy love letter to the people who chase trouble in the dead of night. He’s not afraid to show how messy, exhausting, and straight-up dangerous life can get behind that badge. The stories he’s telling aren’t just fiction—they feel ripped from a world that Joel knows way too well. And if you’re looking for something real, “Crown Vic” is basically your front row seat.
referencennDuring the filming of “Rust,” things went seriously sideways. Director Joel Souza and cinematographer Halyna Hutchins were both hit when a prop gun fired a live round. Hutchins took the worst of it—a bullet struck her right in the chest, exited out her back, and then lodged in Souza’s shoulder. Absolute chaos on set. People rushed to help, but it was too late for Hutchins. Souza was injured but survived. The whole incident set off a firestorm in Hollywood and beyond, raising huge questions about set safety and how something like this could even happen with all the supposed safeguards. The tragedy put a spotlight on the way guns are handled in film production, and honestly, nobody’s ever going to look at prop weapons the same way again. The aftermath saw lawsuits, criminal charges, and a massive wave of industry soul-searching. In short, it was a devastating loss that rocked the movie world to its core.
June 14, 1973
Konidela Ram Charan
Fremont, California, USA
52 years old