Hello! I'm Anna Russell and I'm a NYC-based director, actress, screenwriter, and producer who got tired of waiting for the right roles- so I started creating them myself.

 

After 20+ years in the acting business, from Off-Broadway to commercials to indie films, I flipped the script and have since written, directed, produced, and/or starred in more than a dozen independent short films.

 

Drawn to flawed women navigating the grey areas of life and making messy choices, I love to highlight women whose stories aren't always considered "acceptable". My work marinates in dark humor and surreal elements that embrace the weird, the raw, and most importantly,

the deeply human.

 

I'm fortunate that my films have traveled the world, screening in both domestic and international theaters. Most recently, my film Anastasis was selected for the prestigious CAMERIMAGE TALENT DEMO in Poland. Previous works like An Air About Her and The Amiss Advice of Anna Lou picked up Best Short and Best Actress awards, and have screened at over 20 festivals, including the Toronto Short Film Festival.

 

Up next: The Fall from High to You, my graduate thesis film about a woman whose drug-fueled night unravels into a surreal confrontation with a presence she can't escape, will be seen in festivals beginning in late 2025.

 

Beyond filmmaking, I'm a co-parenting mom to an 11 year-old boy, a murder mystery enthusiast, and an unapologetic lover of all things cheesy

(both jokes and snacks).