Janet Grillo

Grillo grew up in New Jersey and moved to New York City upon graduating college. She graduated magna cum laude with honors in theatre from Wesleyan University{{cite web|url=http://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2011/07/25/grillo/|title=NYT Praises Fly Away (Grillo '80) for 'Commendable Subtlety'|work=News @ Wesleyan|access-date=July 4, 2015}} and later received an MFA from Tisch School of the Arts Dramatic Writing Program. She is currently an Associate Arts Professor at New York University Tisch School of the Arts in the Undergraduate Program at the Kanbar Institute for Film and Television{{cite web|url= https://tisch.nyu.edu/about/directory/film-tvs/1711293371|title=Janet Grillo, Associate Arts Professor, Academic Director|accessdate=October 17, 2021}} and lives full-time in New York City.

Grillo began her career as an assistant literary manager at Circle Repertory Company,{{cite web|url=https://cinema.usc.edu/events/event.cfm?id=11882|title=School of Cinematic Arts Events – USC School of Cinematic Arts|work=usc.edu|access-date=July 4, 2015}} under co-founder Marshall Mason, where she was a member of the emerging writer/director/actor Lab. She then worked at New Line Cinema in the New York office for 10 years, rising through the ranks from freelance script reader, becoming the studio's first Story Editor and first Director of Acquisitions,{{cite web|last1=Hope|first1=Ted|title=Hope for Truly Free Film|url=http://trulyfreefilm.hopeforfilm.com/2013/01/what-if-we-all-made-important-introductions-for-others-daily-starting-today.html|access-date=July 3, 2015}} establishing both departments, to eventually become the Sr. VP of Production/East Coast, under the President of Productions, Sara Risher and President/Founder Bob Shaye.{{cite web|last1=Macaulay|first1=Scott|title=Writer/Director Janet Grillo on Fly Away|url=http://filmmakermagazine.com/22486-fly-away-writer-director-janet-grillo/|website=Filmmaker Magazine|date=April 15, 2011|access-date=July 3, 2015}}

During her tenure at New Line, she launched the House Party franchise{{cite web|url=http://pratchco.com/innovation/our-team/janet-grillo|title=Janet Grillo – Pratch & Company|work=pratchco.com|date=October 25, 2014|access-date=July 4, 2015}} and the careers of filmmakers Reggie Hudlin, Ted Demme, and David O. Russell, whom Grillo married in 1992. She also executive produced Sundance Film Festival award-winning films Spanking the Monkey{{cite web|title=Spankin' The Monkey|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111252/fullcredits/|website=Imdb|access-date=July 4, 2015}} and Hangin' with the Homeboys.{{cite web|last1=Weinstein|first1=Steve|title=Hanging Out With 'The Homeboys' : Movies: In the flood of films detailing the down side of the minority experience, Joe Vasquez has documented a less deadly and rarely acknowledged aspect of ghetto life.|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-25-ca-2629-story.html|website=Los Angeles Times|date=September 25, 1991 |access-date=July 4, 2015}} As an independent producer, Grillo executive produced Joe the King, and produced Searching for Paradise, which was developed at the Sundance Labs and aired on the Sundance Channel.{{cite web|title=12 FILMMAKERS and 8 PROJECTS SELECTED FOR 2012 PRODUCING LAB|url=http://www.filmindependent.org/press/press-releases/12-filmmakers-and-8-projects-selected-for-2012-producing-lab/|website=Film Independent|access-date=July 4, 2015}} She received an Emmy Award as executive producer of HBO's documentary Autism: The Musical.{{cite web|last1=Hall|first1=Elaine|title=Emmy for Autism -- Miracle-Minded Media|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/elaine-hall/emmy-for-autism----miracl_b_128056.html|website=Huffington Post|date=October 24, 2008|access-date=July 4, 2015}}

In 2011, Grillo wrote, directed and produced the ultra-low-budget feature Fly Away starring Ashley Rickards of MTV's Awkward.{{cite web|title=Fly Away: An Absorbing Film About Autism|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-smigelski/fly-away-movie-review_b_847237.html|website=Huffington Post|date=April 12, 2011|access-date=July 4, 2015}} The film premiered in dramatic competition at SXSW in 2011,{{cite web|last1=McNary|first1=Dave|title=SXSW unveils complete pic lineup|url=https://variety.com/2011/film/markets-festivals/sxsw-unveils-complete-pic-lineup-1118031411/|website=Variety|date=February 2, 2011|access-date=July 4, 2015}} won Jury Prize for Best Performance at Arizona International Film Festival{{cite web|last1=Levine|first1=Sydney|title=Women to Watch: Janet Grillo|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/sydneylevine/1-women-to-watch-janet-grillo|website=Indiewire}} and was nominated for a Voice Award for its depiction of mental illness. Fly Away opened in limited release to critical acclaim from The New York Times,{{cite news|last1=Castsoulis|first1=Jeannette|title=A Difficult Family Relationship|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/movies/fly-away-movie-review.html?ref=movies&_r=0|website=New York Times|date=April 15, 2011|access-date=July 3, 2015}} Los Angeles Times,{{cite web|last1=Goldstein|first1=Gary|title=Movie review: 'Fly Away'|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-apr-15-la-et-capsules-fly-away-20110415-story.html|website=Los Angeles Times|date=April 15, 2011 |access-date=July 3, 2015}} HuffPost, New York Observer, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter. Critic Rex Reed of the New York Observer said it deserved an Academy Award nomination,{{cite web|authorlink=Rex Reed|author=Reed, Rex|title=Movie Review: Fly Away Is Heartbreaking, If Hallmark-y|url=http://observer.com/2011/04/movie-review-ifly-awayi-is-heartbreaking-if-hallmarky/|work=New York Observer|date=April 12, 2011|access-date=July 3, 2015}} and Los Angeles Times Calendar Section sited it as one of the four indie film performances most overlooked for Oscar nomination that year.{{cite web|last1=Goldstein|first1=Gary|title=Commentary: For your inconsideration|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-feb-07-la-en-forgotten-films-20120207-story.html|website=Los Angeles Times|date=February 7, 2012 |access-date=July 3, 2015}}

Grillo directed and executive produced Jack of the Red Hearts, a narrative feature starring Famke Janssen and AnnaSophia Robb.{{cite web|last1=Yamato|first1=Jen|title=Famke Janssen, AnnaSophia Robb Join 'Jack Of The Red Hearts'|url=https://deadline.com/2014/06/jack-of-the-red-hearts-famke-janssen-annasophia-robb-797409/|website=Deadline|date=June 27, 2014|access-date=July 4, 2015}} It won the Jury Prize at the inaugural Bentonville Film Festival,{{cite magazine |last=Saval |first=Malina |url=https://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/geena-davis-inaugural-bentonvillle-film-fest-promotes-femme-filmmakers-and-diversity-in-media-1201491988/ |title=Geena Davis' Inaugural Bentonvillle Film Fest Promotes Femme Filmmakers and Diversity in Media |magazine=Variety |date=May 11, 2015 |access-date=January 22, 2017}} which was co-founded by actress/activist Geena Davis to advance women and diversity.{{cite news|last1=Schulte|first1=Bret|title=Bentonville, Ark., Hosts a Film Festival Without a Movie Theater|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/06/realestate/commercial/bentonville-ark-hosts-a-film-festival-without-a-movie-theater.html|website=New York Times|date=May 5, 2015|access-date=July 3, 2015}} The film also won the Audience Award for the Best Narrative Feature, the Jury Award for the Best Feature Narrative and the Director Prize for Best Young Actress (for Taylor Richardson's performance as a severely autistic child) at Woods Hole Film Festival 2015,{{cite web |title=Film and Screenplay Winners 2015 – Woods Hole Film Festival |url=http://www.woodsholefilmfestival.org/woodsholefilmfestivalarchives/festival-2015/2015-film-and-screenplay-winners/ |access-date=January 11, 2019}} and The Chimaera Project Award at the Catalina Film Festival 2015.{{cite web |title=The 2015 Catalina Film Festival Honorees |url=http://catalinafilm.org/the-2015-catalina-film-festival-honorees/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813193430/http://catalinafilm.org/the-2015-catalina-film-festival-honorees/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |date=October 10, 2017 |access-date=January 11, 2019}}

In 2022, Janet directed the independent narrative sci-fi comedy,Alien Intervention. Originally titled The Warm Season, the film won Festival Director’s Award at the Boston Sci Fi Film Festival and Best Cinematography Award at the Santa Fe Film Festival. It was programmed in several festivals including Woodstock Film Festival and Arizona Film Festival. It is distributed on streaming platforms.

From 1992 to 2007, she was married to director David O. Russell, with whom she has one son.{{cite web|last1=Mandell|first1=Andrea|title=Exclusive: Inside the last days of 'American Hustle'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/12/10/inside-the-last-days-of-american-hustle/3920519/|website=USA Today|access-date=July 3, 2015}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.janetgrillofilmmaker.com Official site]
• {{IMDb name|0342037}}

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Category:American music video directors

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Category:Wesleyan University alumni