Limité is all about what’s next, not what’s now. In this spirit, we are always on the lookout for fresh, new talent that is “on the verge.” We want you to be able to say that you first heard of tomorrow’s trendsetters, movers, and shakers right here. With this, we are introducing a two-part series on young filmmakers and actors who we feel are about to make an impact in film or TV. Whether they’re young in age or young in their roles as filmmakers and actors, these talents are approaching their tipping points.
The film and TV industries are bursting with fresh, young talent. We encourage you to add onto this list by leaving a comment, describing who you think will be the “next big thing.”
Ry Russo-Young
Age: 27
From: New York, NY
Credits: You Won’t Miss Me (2009), Orphans (2007)
“When I was 13, I was in a school play that changed my life. It was The Hobbit, and I got so, so into it. I realized that there was this realm of make-believe that was totally sanctioned by society.” (courtesy of Nylon)
That’s how it all started for 27-year-old filmmaker Ry Russo-Young. The native New Yorker began mastering her craft with short films, beginning with “Wide Berth,” while she was still a student at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn. She later gained inspiration from one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most famed works when she made “Marion” (2005), a short film that deconstructed the Master of Suspense’s Psycho. “Marion” screened at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival and went on to win Russo-Young several awards, including the Jury Award for Best Experimental Film at the 2006 SXSW Film Festival. Just one year later, the filmmaker found her way back to Austin when her feature film debut, Orphans (2007), won a Special Jury Prize at SXSW.
Russo-Young’s latest film, You Won’t Miss Me (2009), is an official selection of the 2009 Sundance and SXSW Film Festivals, among others. It was co-written by and stars Stella Schnabel, daughter of filmmaker Julian (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly). You Won’t Miss Me screened at BAMcinemaFEST, a Brooklyn-based film festival celebrating films by new and established filmmakers from the US and abroad.
Ramin Bahrani
Age: 34
From: Winston-Salem, NC
Credits: Goodbye Solo (2008), Chop Shop (2007)
Roger Ebert’s distinguished career of film reviewing has spanned over 40 years. Considering the thousands of films he’s seen, it’s not to be taken lightly when he names someone the “new great American director.” Imagine Ramin Bahrani’s reaction upon receiving this accolade earlier this year. The 34-year-old North Carolinian is the writer/director of the recently released Goodbye Solo (2008). The film is about a Senegalese cab driver and an elderly Southern man, who despite contrasting backgrounds, discover the importance of the other in their lives.
Bahrani’s films have screened at several festivals, including Cannes, Sundance, Venice, Toronto, Berlin, and others. Among them was his third feature, Chop Shop (2007), about a Latino orphan working at a Queens auto body. The film earned Bahrani a Spirit Award nomination for Best Director (2009) and the Someone to Watch Award (2008). It also earned accolades from Ebert when he called it “an American masterpiece.”
Jennifer Venditti
Photo by Samantha West
Age: 37
From: New York, NY
Credits: Billy the Kid (2007)
To call Jennifer Venditti a people-person might be an understatement. It’s her business to find people, speak with people, and recognize that certain “it” factor that may ultimately catapult them into the worlds of acting and modeling. In 1998, Venditti founded her Manhattan-based casting agency JV8INC. Her specialty is “street scouting,” where she finds the beauty in ordinary people who might have been ignored by traditional scouting methods. In an interview with Filmmaker magazine (December 7, 2007), Venditti explains what attracts her to regular people. “I like flaws. I feel like that’s a part of what makes each of us interesting.”
While casting for Sundance award-winning short film “Bugcrush” (2006), Venditti encountered Billy Price, a 15-year-old from Maine. Upon meeting him, Venditti knew there was something special about the teen, who was seen as an outcast by his peers. He became the inspiration for Venditti’s first feature Billy the Kid (2007), which exposed Billy’s life and first love. The film won Best Documentary at the SXSW, Los Angeles, and Edinburgh International Film Festivals, and was named Most Popular Documentary at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
Venditti continues her casting work and recently scouted for Spike Jonze’s upcoming release Where the Wild Things Are.
Craig Zobel
Age: 33
From: Atlanta, GA
Credits: Great World of Sound (2007)
The American South is characterized by peach trees, hospitality, and sunshine. Film, not so much. But it was in Winston-Salem where New York native Craig Zobel got a taste of filmmaking at North Carolina School of the Arts. While there, he studied with future collaborators David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express) and George Smith. Cutting his teeth on film sets, he took on production roles in Green’s first three films: George Washington (2000), All the Real Girls (2003), and Undertow (2003).
Succumbing to the directing bug, himself, Zobel went on to direct, produce, and co-write (with Smith) the acclaimed Great World of Sound (2007). The film explores the often scam-filled world of record label talent scouting, which was inspired by his father’s experiences. Sound earned Zobel a Spirit Award nomination for Best First Feature. The accolades continued with an Independent Visions Award at the Sarasota Film Festival and a Gotham Award for Breakthrough Director.
Zobel is currently working on a dark comedy entitled Turkey in the Straw, for which he is co-writer/director. The film’s rumored cast includes Paul Rudd, John Goodman, and Amy Sedaris.
Asia Argento
Age: 33
From: Rome, Italy
Credits: Scarlet Diva (2000)
Perhaps Asia Argento didn’t know early on that she would take part in the family business, but to the outsider, it may have seemed inevitable. The 33-year-old Italian undoubtedly gained influence from her actress mother (Daria Nicolodi), filmmaker father (Dario Argento), and composer great-grandfather (Alfredo Casella). Despite such creative surroundings, Argento recalls having an unhappy childhood. Her father directed, produced, and wrote horror films. With most attention paid to his work, Argento took up acting at the age of 9 in hopes of capturing her father’s attention, but it wasn’t until the age of 16 that her father cast her in one of his films. The actress continued her craft and ultimately earned two David di Donatello awards for Best Actress at a young age. This Italian Oscar equivalent was awarded to her for her portrayals in Perdiamoci di vista! (1994) and Compagna di viaggio (1996).
In 1994, Argento took her turn in the director’s chair for the first time while working on short films before ultimately moving onto documentaries, with her father and American filmmaker Abel Ferrara as her subjects. Her first narrative feature, Scarlet Diva (2000), is an autobiographical sketch of a young actress who falls into drugs and sex while attempting to overcome her loneliness.
Argento’s work may be characterized as rebellious and pushing boundaries. She directed Marilyn Manson’s music video for “(s)AINT,” which was banned in the United States for images of drug abuse, self mutilation, nudity, sexual content, and bondage. She also stated in a Fall 2000 interview with Filmmaker magazine that she was about to direct a porn movie because “I’ve seen a lot of porno films, but they are never very interesting. So what I want to try to do is have a strong story, but with real sex.”
The unconventional actress/director continues acting and served as a juror at the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival.
