Joe Russo

A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Arizona State University in the degrees of Film and Media Production and Media Analysis and Criticism, Award-Winning filmmaker Joe Russo, has directed eight short films. He has served as 1st Assistant Director, 2nd Unit... more »

A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Arizona State University in the degrees of Film and Media Production and Media Analysis and Criticism, Award-Winning filmmaker Joe Russo, has directed eight short films. He has served as 1st Assistant Director, 2nd Unit Director, Assistant to the Director and Writer on several features, commercials, television programs and short films.

In 2006 Joe was one of three students selected to intern on the Universal Studio's feature film The Kingdom. Since graduating, he has worked for such national networks as Fox, Fox Reality, Fox Sports Network, Sy-Fy and A&E in various capacities on programs like Sex Decoy: Love Stings, Paranormal Investigators, The Love Shaq, So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol.

Most recently, Joe completed work on his latest directing effort, Take-Out. The Award-Winning horror short was shot using the Red One Digital Cinema Camera, a state of the art digital camera capable of matching the look and resolution of 35mm film. Called “Gleefully creepy and most enjoyable” by Arizona Republic film critic Bill Goodykoontz, the short film made its big screen debut at the 2009 Phoenix Film Festival and has since screened at film festivals around the world.

Take-Out was selected as the "Best International Short" at the La Gona Film Festival, was nominated for “Best Horror Short” at the Terror Film Festival and was one of six national finalists for the horror genre in the IndieProducer Short Film Contest. It was one of the first shorts to be selected for "Cinematic Shrimp", a new feature on entertainment website Ain't It Cool News spotlighting achievement in short filmmaking.

Joe’s mockumentary hit, Movie Screening Security Guards, was a competitive selection of the 2009 Phoenix Film Festival, a competitive selection at the 2008 AFA Film Festival and an official selection of the OneNightCinema Fall 2008 Film Series.

Written, shot and edited in a weekend, Joe's 48 Hour Film Challenge short, Finger Food, was selected as a competitive entry in the 2008 International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival and the IFASA Three Minute Thriller. His first short film, Misfire, was a competitive selection at the inaugural Arizona State Filmmakers Association Film Festival in 2006. « less