Jerry Risius Explained

Jerry Risius
Birth Place:Buffalo Center, Iowa, U.S.
Years Active:1997 – Present

Jerry Risius is an American documentary film director and cinematographer.[1] [2] [3] He is an Peabody Award nominee and a three-time Emmy Award nominee.[4] [5] [6]

Life and career

Risius was born in Buffalo Center, Iowa, and he graduated from the University of Iowa.[7] From 2017 to 2021, he directed the independent feature documentary, Storm Lake, along with Beth Levison, which premiered at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, broadcast on PBS's Independent Lens in 2022, and was nominated for a Peabody Award and a 2022 News and Documentary Emmy Awards.[8] [9]

Risius is an Adjunct Faculty Professor for 15 years at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.[10]

Selected filmography

YearTitleContributionNote
2023Food, Inc. 2CinematographerDocumentary
2022Director by NightCinematographerDocumentary
2022GutsyCinematographer3 Episodes
2022EarthstormCinematography1 Episode
2021Storm LakeDirector and cinematographerDocumentary
2020No Small MatterCinematographerDocumentary
2020Denise Ho: Becoming the SongCinematographerDocumentary
2019The KingmakerCinematographyDocumentary
2018Generation WealthCinematographerDocumentary
2018Seeing AllredCinematographerDocumentary
2016PickleCinematographerDocumentary
2014Watchers of the SkyCinematographerDocumentary
2011The Last MountainCinematographerDocumentary
2007The Devil Came on HorsebackCinematographer and field producerDocumentary
2007A Walk to BeautifulCinematographerTV show
2005–2018Parts Unknown and Cinematographer and director50 Episodes

Awards and nominations

YearResultAwardCategoryWorkRef.
2021WonAFI Docs FestivalAudience AwardStorm Lake[11]
WonWoodstock Film FestivalBest Documentary Feature[12]
NominatedNews and Documentary Emmy AwardsOutstanding Business and Economic Documentary[13]
NominatedPeabody AwardsDocumentary honorees
NominatedNews and Documentary Emmy AwardsOutstanding Science and Technology Documentary
2018NominatedPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program
2007NominatedNews and Documentary Emmy AwardsOutstanding Informational Programming – Long Form[14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Small Town, Local Paper, Big Issues. easthamptonstar.com. 2023-09-01.
  2. Web site: BETH LEVISON/JERRY RISIUS (STORM LAKE). americanfilmshowcase.com. 2023-09-01.
  3. Web site: Beth Levison and Jerry Risius. c-span.org. 2023-09-01.
  4. Web site: Storm Lake. peabodyawards.com. 2023-09-01.
  5. Web site: Awards & Nominations. emmys.com. 2023-09-01.
  6. Web site: NOMINEES ANNOUNCED FOR THE 42ND ANNUAL NEWS & DOCUMENTARY EMMY AWARDS. theemmys.tv. 2023-09-01.
  7. Web site: Documentary 'Storm Lake' chronicles Cullen family's commitment to community journalism. desmoinesregister.com. 2023-09-01.
  8. Web site: Peabody Nominations Include ‘Summer Of Soul’, ‘Reservation Dogs’, ‘Colin In Black & White’, ‘Dopesick’, ‘Hacks’. deadline.com. 2023-09-01.
  9. Web site: In the PBS doc "Storm Lake," a tiny Iowa paper fights for the future of high-quality local news. salon.com. 2023-09-01.
  10. Web site: Jerry Risius. sva.edu. 2023-09-01.
  11. Web site: AFI DOCS Announces 2021 Award Winners. afi.com. 2023-09-01.
  12. Web site: 22ND ANNUAL WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2021 AWARD WINNERS. woodstockfilmfestival.org. 2023-09-01.
  13. Web site: THE 43rd NEWS & DOCUMENTARY EMMYS. theemmys.tv. 2023-09-01.
  14. Web site: News & Documentary Emmy Awards. imdb.com. 2023-09-01.