Liz Rizzo grew up in South Florida, where her passion for motion pictures drew her from a Boca Raton movie club, to film classes at PBCC, to FSU Graduate Film School. There, she directed witches in “Add a Dash of Glitter,” soldiers in “Privates,” and a reluctant bride in the award-winning film short, “Every Little Girl’s Dream.” She moved to Los Angeles in 2002, where she writes poetry and works in Post Production. Her web short, “Zero Sight: Bad Call,” from Red 5 TV’s YouTube show, The Continuum, played at film festivals in LA, NY, and Orlando. She most recently directed “Titus and Dronicus,” a 15-minute web noir about two mis-matched detectives investigating the murders in Shakespeare’s plays, and a film short, “Start Over,” about three men on a search for that special someone. A WriteGirl mentor since 2011, she is a yogi, a gamer, and a lover of vegetables (and 2-shots).
DIRECTING FILMOGRAPHY:
Start Over
Three men and a woman hire a video service to find someone special.
RED/9 min/2016
Official Selection: Community Film & Arts Festival – Toronto, Orlando Film Festival, Sand Diego Black Film Festival, Omaha Film Festival, Canadian Diversity Film Festival, Sherman Oaks Film Festival
Titus and Dronicus: Hamlet
RED/15 min/2016
Meet Titus and Dronicus
HD/2 min/2015
Tradecraft
Ep. 1 & 2
HD/TBD/2014
Zero Sight: Bad Call
What if you could kill anyone with a single text message?
RED/8 min/2013
WRNG in Studio City
Ep. 6, Pine Barrels
HD/6 min/2013
Sasha’s Scenes
A scene project
7D/various/2012
Missing Miranda Kickstarter Spots
5 Character Vignettes
RED HD/various/2012
Trojan Fun Pack
Spec Ad
HD/30 sec/2012
Earth Force 5
Fighting the Romans for 2700 years . . . give or take.
SD/3 ep./16 min trt/2009
In Spite
A scene project
HD/3 min/2008
Juanita Saves The World
Episode 7: Eco Monde
RED HD/4 min/2011/incomplete
Hammer
Becca has a plan to get over her cheating ex, but her roommate thinks it’s a bad idea.
HD/5 min/2006
Kids Grow Up So Fast
Women in Film public service announcement for Kids Korps USA
35mm/30 sec/2004
Every Little Girl’s Dream
Breaking up is hard to do… especially on your wedding day.
35mm/16 min/August 2002
Awarded: 2003 Philafilm Silver Award Winner, July 2003
Official Selection: Foyle Film Festival, Northern Ireland, Nov. 2002; Sarasota Film Festival, Florida, Jan. 2003; Sedona Film Festival, Arizona, Feb. 2003; Myhelan Indie Film Festival, New Jersey, March 2003; Brouhaha Film and Video Showcase, Florida, May 2003; Stony Brook Film Festival, New York, July 2003; Tampa’s Independent’s Film Festival, Florida, July 2003; Rhode Island International Film Festival, August 2003; Crested Butte Reel Fest, Colorado, August 2003; L.A. Shorts Fest, Los Angeles, Sept. 2003; Women in Film Independent Film Series, Oct. 2003
Privates
Private Kelly Ibanez knows exactly what equality means to her – coed showers.
S16mm/8 min/Fall 2001
Add a Dash of Glitter
A wannabe witch pursues her dream despite constant failures & a pesky cousin.
S16mm/7 min/Summer 2001
Are You Cereal?
Claire finally meets an interesting guy, and he’s the roommate of her one night stand.
Digital Video/5 min/ Fall 2000
Outside World
He’s a man among men, master of all he surveys. He hasn’t left his room all day.
16mm/Digital Video/5 min/ Fall 1999/music video
EDUCATION:
Master of Fine Arts in Film Production
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla., 8/00 – 8/02
Intense two-year, six-semester program in all aspects of film production. Students perform every possible preproduction, production, and post production position at least once while simultaneously producing and directing at least three individual projects.
• Selected as one of five students to write and direct a 35mm graduate thesis film, “Every Little Girl’s Dream,” which premiered Aug. 2002
• With the entire production team, brought “Every Little Girl’s Dream” in on schedule and within budget
• Sound designed “Every Little Girl’s Dream” while completing a screenplay and working on first-year projects in support positions in summer 2002
• Wrote and directed one digital and two super 16mm shorts
• Prepared business plans and pitched two MFA thesis films to faculty
• Worked closely with ever-changing groups of different personalities and working styles to produce numerous films every semester
Bachelor of Arts with honors
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Fla., 8/90 – 4/94
Economics Major, Minor in Geography
Member of Film Independent.
