Suzi Yoonessi

Suzi Yoonessi
Yoonessi in 2009
Born (1978-02-21) February 21, 1978 (age 48)
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
EducationSan Francisco Art Institute
Columbia University School of the Arts (MFA)
OccupationsDirector
Producer
Screenwriter
Years active2001–present

Suzi Yoonessi (born February 21, 1978) is an American filmmaker. She wrote and directed the award-winning feature film Dear Lemon Lima, and directed the Duplass Brothers film Unlovable and Daphne and Velma for Warner Brothers. Yoonessi's short films No Shoulder and Dear Lemon Lima are distributed by Shorts International and Vanguard Cinema and her documentary film Vern is distributed by National Film Network and is in the permanent collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Biography

Suzi Yoonessi was born in Buffalo, New York, where she attended Nichols School. Yoonessi was a member of Buffalo's first all-female band Bertha Mason during the Riot Grrrl movement in the early 90s. Yoonessi studied photography and film at the San Francisco Art Institute. Upon graduation, she worked for Surface Magazine in the editorial department and moved to New York to pursue filmmaking after being awarded a Jerome Foundation grant for her documentary film Vern. Yoonessi received her MFA from Columbia University School of the Arts where she was the recipient of the FMI Directing Fellowship. She currently resides in Los Angeles and is a director at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Directing

Suzi Yoonessi's first feature film Dear Lemon Lima premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival where it received critical acclaim and a jury prize for Outstanding Performance. The film went on to play in over 80 film festivals, picking up audience awards and a grand jury prize at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. The film was released internationally, then domestically on VOD and in theaters in Los Angeles and New York by Phase 4 Films. Yoonessi's sophomore film Unlovable received a special jury recognition at the SXSW Film Festival, and was released by Orion Classics. Yoonessi directed The Spring of Sorrow for the Independent Television Service series FutureStates and the hit series The Dead Girls Detective Agency for Snap Originals. In October 2019, it was announced that Yoonessi is developing an original film with Walt Disney Animation Studios as making first Persian (Iranian) princess as musical animated film, as She listen her grandmother's Iranian fairytale story.

Principal photography on her film Mother Wolf, starring Melissa Leo, took place in Hudson Valley in New York State in August 2024.

Awards

Filmography

Director

  • 2027 Untitled first Persian (Iranian) Disney Princess Musical Film
  • 2019 Insatiable
  • 2018 The Dead Girls Detective Agency
  • 2018 Unlovable
  • 2018 Daphne and Velma
  • 2017 Relationship Status
  • 2015 Olive and Mocha: First Kiss
  • 2015 Troop Hood
  • 2015 Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street - Gortimer and the Lost Treasure of Normal Street
  • 2011 Olive and Mocha: Fast Times at Sugar High
  • 2010 The Spring of Sorrow
  • 2009 Dear Lemon Lima
  • 2006 Dear Lemon Lima short
  • 2005 No Shoulder
  • 2004 Vern

Producer

References

  1. ↑ "HostMonster". Dearlemonlimamovie.com. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  2. ↑ "SXSW Pic 'Unlovable' Scores Orion Classics Deal for November Premiere". 5 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "Movies Like Scoob! To Watch if You Love the Animated Scooby-Doo Film". Collider. 22 May 2020.
  4. ↑ "Short Film Entertainment Company". Shorts International. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  5. ↑ "Secret Shorts". Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
  6. ↑ "National Film Network -". Archived from the original on 2012-03-10. Retrieved 2012-04-28.
  7. ↑ "FILM_Alumni Win Top Prizes at 2018 South by Southwest Film Festival". Columbia - School of the Arts.
  8. ↑ "Walt Disney Animation Names Directors for Four New Film Projects (EXCLUSIVE)". October 2019.
  9. ↑ "Product Detail". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
  10. ↑ "SXSW Winner 'Unlovable' Bought by Orion Classics". 5 September 2018.
  11. ↑ "FUTURESTATES | Spring of Sorrow | Episode | ITVS - YouTube". Futurestates.tv. 2011-06-14. Archived from the original on March 1, 2011. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  12. ↑ "Can Snapchat's Shows Keep Users from Disappearing?". The Hollywood Reporter. 10 October 2018.
  13. ↑ "Walt Disney Animation Names Directors for Four New Film Projects (EXCLUSIVE)". October 2019.
  14. ↑ Vardhan, Harsh (June 28, 2024). "Melissa Leo to Star in Suzi Yoonessi's 'Mother Wolf'". Cinemaholic. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  15. ↑ "THIRD QUARTER PRODUCTION BOUNCE". Hudson Valley Film Commission. October 22, 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  16. ↑ Hopewell, John (Oct 23, 2024). "John Turturro, Melissa Leo, '24's' Evan Katz, 'Mafia Spies' Director Tom Donahue, Juan José Campanella on the Mediapro Studio's First U.S. Slate". Variety. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  17. ↑ "Daytime Emmy Awards (2018)". IMDb.
  18. ↑ "2018 SXSW Film Festival Announces Jury and Special Awards". 14 March 2018.
  19. ↑ "Sun Valley Film Festival handed out bevy of awards". 16 May 2023.
  20. ↑ "Take Two® | Suzi Yoonessi wins LA Film Festival's 'Make 'em LAFF' competition | 89.3 KPCC". Scpr.org. 2014-06-16. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  21. ↑ "Camério Awards | Festival international de cinéma jeunesse de Rimouski". Archived from the original on 2012-03-02. Retrieved 2013-05-17.
  22. ↑ "Camério Awards | Festival international de cinéma jeunesse de Rimouski". Archived from the original on 2012-03-02. Retrieved 2013-05-17.
  23. ↑ "51. ZLÍN FILM FESTIVAL 2011 - Mezinárodní festival pro děti a mládež". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
  24. ↑ "2009 Woodstock Film Festival announces audience award winners". Woodstockfilmfestival.com. 2009-10-04. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  25. ↑ "Festival Guide". Archived from the original on 2011-08-12. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
  26. ↑ "Festival Guide". Archived from the original on 2011-08-12. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
  27. ↑ "San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival - indieWIRE". Archived from the original on 2011-03-18. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
  28. ↑ "Ifp/West los angeles independent film festival - homepage". www.lafilmfest.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2001. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  29. ↑ "Events | Nat Geo - Events". Events.nationalgeographic.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-10. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  30. ↑ "Jerome Foundation". Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2011-02-22.