Ry Russo-Young

Ry Russo-Young (born November 16, 1981) is an American filmmaker, originally from New York City. Her early independent work has been associated with the mumblecore genre, though she has gone on to direct wide-release features Before I Fall (2017) and The Sun Is Also a Star (2019). She lives in Los Angeles. Early work Her films Nobody Walks and You Won't Miss Me appeared at the Sundance Film Festival. Nobody Walks won a special jury prize and was released by Magnolia Pictures in 2014, and You Won't Miss Me won a Gotham Award for Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You. Her first feature, Orphans, won a special jury prize at South by Southwest in 2007. Her short film Marion, won several awards including a Silver Hugo for Best Experimental Short at the Chicago Independent Film Festival. She also appeared in Joe Swanberg's Hannah Takes the Stairs and The Color Wheel. In 2015, Russo-Young won a Creative Capital award for her film, The Family Movie. Career Russo-Young directed Before I Fall, based on the book by Lauren Oliver. The film stars Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, Logan Miller, and Jennifer Beals, and was released by Open Road Films in 2017. Before I Fall premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2017 and also had a special screening at the Next Wave 17 Toronto International Film Festival in February 2017. Russo-Young also directed The Sun Is Also a Star, adapted from Nicola Yoon’s novel of the same name. The film stars Yara Shahidi, Charles Melton, and John Leguizamo and was co-produced by MGM and Warner Brothers. The film follows high school student Natasha Kingsely (Shahidi) who falls for Daniel Bae (Melton) the day she is to be deported. The film is to be released on May 17, 2019. Russo-Young recently directed three episodes of the Netflix original series Everything Sucks!, as well as episodes of Sweetbitter, and Marvel's Cloak & Dagger. Education She attended Oberlin College and Saint Ann's School.