Janet Grillo is an award winning, critically acclaimed filmmaker, Emmy Award winning producer, former Senior VP of Production/East Coast at New Line Cinema, and Professor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Kanbar Institute of Film and Television.
In 2022 Janet directed ALIEN INTERVENTION, originally titled THE WARM SEASON, an independent, female driven Sci Fi comedic drama, which premiered in film festivals in USA and abroad in 2023 including THE WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL. Won the Boston Sci Fi Film Festival’s Director’s Award and Best Cinematography at Santa Fe Film Festival and was the Arizona Film Festival’s Opening Night film. Distributed by Vision Films.
Prior to that, Janet directed JACK OF THE RED HEARTS, starring Famke Janssen and AnnaSophia Robb, winning Jury Prize for Best Film at the 2015 inaugural BENTONVILLE FILM FESTIVAL, founded by Geena Davis to promote Women and Diversity. It won the Audience Award and Director’s Prize for Best Young Actress at Woods Hole Film Festival, and the Chimera Award for Gender Equality at the Catalina Film Festival. It was the Gala Opening night of the Golden Door International Film Festival in Jersey City, where it won seven awards (including Best Film and Best Director),screened at Montreal Film Festival, Virginia Film Festival, High Falls Film Festival and at the FilmColumbia Festival, curated by renowned critic Peter Biskind. JACK made its European debut at the Rome Film Festival, in the Alice Nella Cittta section. JACK OF THE RED HEARTS was released in 25 AMC theaters, was seen by 1 million people on LIFETIME TV.
Janet wrote, directed and produced the feature film FLY AWAY, which premiered in 2011 as 1 of 8 in Dramatic Competition at SXSW Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Feature. It won the Special Jury Award for Best Performance at the ARIZONA Intl Film Festival, opening theatrically to excellent reviews in the NEW YORK TIMES, HUFFINGTON POST, NEW YORK OBSERVER and LA TIMES, which sited it as one of four independent films “most overlooked for an Oscar.”
In 2008, Janet won an Emmy as Executive Producer of the HBO documentary AUTISM: THE MUSICAL. The feature film premiered at The Tribeca Film Festival and was acquired for distribution by HBO
During her decade as a Creative Executive at NEW LINE CINEMA, Janet oversaw the HOUSE PARTY series, and cultivated scores of filmmakers including Reginald Hudlin, Alan Taylor and Ted Demme, and Executive Produced David O. Russell’s first feature, SPANKING THE MONKEY, launching his illustrious career.
Janet is a full time Professor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Kanbar Institute of Film and Television, Undergraduate Program. She has an MFA from NYU, and a BA with Honors in Theater from Wesleyan University.
Janet is the mother of an adult son on the Autism Spectrum, and an Neurodiversity Advocate.
