Robert Rippberger

Robert Rippberger is an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter. He is the director of the upcoming sci-fi movie, Renner, producer of The Inventor, writer/director of Those Who Walk Away (film) starring BooBoo Stewart, the director/producer of Strive with Oscar winner Danny Glover, the director of the feature documentary Public Enemy Number One (film) from Executive Producer Ice-T, and director/producer of the Hulu released documentary 7 Days in Syria.^[1][2] Robert executive produced with Jason Blum the feature documentary Alive and Kicking.^[3][4] The film was sold to Magnolia Pictures and Netflix after its debut at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival, where it received a Grand Jury nomination.^[5]

Robert Rippberger
Born	Boulder, Colorado
Nationality	American
Education	University of California, Berkeley
Occupation(s)	Film director, film producer, and screenwriter
Years active	2006–present
Website	robertrippberger.com

Narrative work

Rippberger directed and produced the upcoming sci-fi movie, Renner, which wrapped filming in 2023.^[6] The film stars Frankie Muniz and Violett Beane and is a futuristic AI thriller.^[7]

In 2023, Robert produced The Inventor which was released theatrically on September 23 by Blue Fox Entertainment, and then on VOD on November 7.^[8] The Inventor is a stop-motion feature film written and directed by Jim Capobianco, the Oscar-nominated writer of Pixar's Ratatouille.^[9] The film stars Marion Cotillard, Daisy Ridley, Stephen Fry and Matt Berry and is about the life of Leonardo da Vinci.^[10][11] The Inventor had its worldwide premier at the 2023 Annecy Film Festival and was also named one of the ten best animated films of 2023 by The Wrap.^[12][13]

In 2021, Rippberger wrote and directed the horror feature Those Who Walk Away starring Booboo Stewart. Like 1917 (film) the film was completed in one shot. It was lauded in The New York Times and on KTLA after its U.S. theatrical release.^[14][15][16]

Rippberger is the director of the 2019 drama Strive, about a girl from the projects in Harlem who works to attend Yale.^[17] Inspired by true stories, Strive stars Grammy-nominated JoiStaRR, Shaylin Becton, Ricky Flowers Jr, Chelsea Lee Williams, and Oscar winner Danny Glover, with music composed by Grammy-winning producer Warryn Campbell.^[18][19]

Documentary

Rippberger recently produced 'How To Build A Truth Engine' which follows award-winning investigative journalists, fact-checkers, scientists and engineers in their efforts to develop groundbreaking technology and understanding of the human psyche to help bring societies back to a common understanding of reality. The film is executive produced by Academy Award winners George Clooney and Grant Heslov and will have its World Premiere at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival.^[20]

Rippberger is also currently producing 'The Mouse That Roared', directed by Academy Award nominee Judith Ehrlich.^[21]

In 2019, Rippberger directed and produced Public Enemy Number One (film)—a documentary about America's war on drugs from Executive Producer Ice-T. The film won Best Documentary Feature at the Seattle Film Festival,^[22] and Storyteller Award and Best Producer at Doc LA - Los Angeles Documentary Film Festival.^[23]

In 2016, Rippberger's feature documentary 7 Days in Syria, which follows journalist Janine di Giovanni's 2012 trip to Aleppo, was screened at Britain's House of Lords.^[24] The film has played in over 50 cities worldwide, on television in Denmark, Sweden, and China, and via streaming service Hulu.^[25] The documentary is currently available via Amazon Prime and other VOD providers. The film was well received by critics and personally championed by United Nations Special Envoy Angelina Jolie.^[26]

Rippberger went on to executive produce Alive and Kicking, a documentary about swing dancing, which premiered at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival to a Grand Jury nomination, and was released in 2017 by Magnolia Pictures. Alive and Kicking was named the film to watch by The New York Times watching section, received a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and was invited to be part of the 2018/19 American Film Showcase, the State Department's diplomacy through cinema program.^[27][28] The film is currently available on Netflix.

In 2011, Rippberger co-created a seven part documentary series published by The New York Times interviewing politicians and world leaders regarding the world's biggest crises.^[29] He was the 2012 recipient of the Dan Eldon Activist Award for producing and directing A Ride With Matt, later retitled Breaking the Cycle, a documentary feature about Huntington's Disease. The award is given to filmmakers for best use of media to effect positive change.^[30]

Rippberger is the previous president of I Imagine, a socially conscious technology and media organization that ran the I Imagine Film Festival in New York. He is also the co-founder and co-executive director of SIE Society whose mission is to create a central community with continuously relevant resources for social impact entertainment storytellers.^[31]

Music videos

In 2014, Rippberger directed the music video Ab Laut Aa by EDM DJ Sanjoy featuring Sunidhi Chauhan.^[32] The video has 1.5 million views on YouTube and won Best Music Video that year at the VIMA Music Awards.^[33][34]

Thirty years after the song's initial release, in 2018 Rippberger directed the official music video for “Suicide” by Busy Bee Starski, the single off his gold album Running Thangs. Originating from New York City, Hip Hop Hall of Fame inductee Busy Bee Starski is considered one of the founders of modern hip-hop, and the star of the 1983 film Wild Style, billed as the first hip-hop motion picture.^[35] The music video guest stars rapper Ice-T.

Writing

In 2022, Rippberger published, The Power of Storytelling: Social Impact Entertainment about the role film and TV has in society. The non-fiction book was published by Regent Press October 25, 2022.^[36]

In 2014, Rippberger published a novel called Escape to Anywhere Else with a foreword by Mariel Hemingway.^[37][38]

Robert was the co-founder and co-editor of the magazine and podcast, Cinema of Change, along with Tobias Deml; since rebranded as SIE Magazine. He was previously a contributing writer to The Huffington Post.^[39][40]

Early life

Rippberger began filmmaking at age 13. As a freshman in high school, he enrolled in filmmaking classes at the University of Colorado Boulder, studied under directing teacher Judith Weston, and at UCLA Film School in Los Angeles. In 2005, at age 16, he made his first feature film, "The Hoodwink."

Rippberger received a B.A. in philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley in 2010, where he was awarded in 2009 the Roselyn Schneider Eisner Prize for his film "In the Middle." It is the highest award given for creativity on the UC, Berkeley campus.^[41]

Filmography

Features

• The Hoodwink (2006)
• Visions for the Future (2013)
• Breaking the Cycle (2013)
• Face of Unity: Nelson Mandela (2014)
• 7 Days in Syria (2015)
• Alive and Kicking (2016) (executive producer)^[42]
• Strive (2019)^[43]
• Public Enemy Number One (2019)
• Those Who Walk Away (2022)
• Our Son (2023) (executive producer)^[44]
• The Inventor (2023 film) (producer, p.g.a.)^[45]
• How to Build a Truth Engine (2024) (producer)^[46]
• Renner (2024)^[47]

Shorts

• "Grave" (2004)
• "R.I.P." (2005)
• "In the Middle" (2009)
• "Noor (2011)" (co-director)
• "Haven (2011)"
• "ThinkingAloud" (2011)
• "A Night at the Office" (2012) (co-producer)
• "Duplicitous Minds" (2022)

Music videos

• "Ab Laut Aa" by Sanjoy featuring Sunidhi Chauhan (2013)^[48]
• "Set Me Free" by Sanjoy (2014)^[49]
• "Suicide" by Busy Bee Starski (2018)^[50]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Nominated Work	Category	Role	Result
2011	The Eisner Prize	In the Middle	Highest Achievement in Creativity	Director/Producer	Won^[51]
2012	Dan Eldon Activist Award	Breaking the Cycle	Activist Filmmaker Award	Director/Producer	Won^[52]
2015	Fingal Film Festival	7 Days in Syria	Outstanding Achievement in Media	Director/Producer	Won^[53]
2016	Amsterdam Lift-Off Festival	7 Days in Syria	Jury Selection Best Feature	Director/Producer	Won^[54]
2016	SXSW Film Festival	Alive and Kicking	Grand Jury Award	Executive Producer	Nominated^[55]
2017	Palm Springs Film Festival	Alive and Kicking	Best of Fest	Executive Producer	Won^[56]
2019	Harlem International Film Festival	Strive	Audience Award	Director/Producer	Won^[57]
2019	American Black Film Festival	Strive	Audience Award	Director/Producer	Nominated^[58]
2019	American Black Film Festival	Strive	Best Screenplay	Director/Producer	Won^[59]
2019	The Valley Film Festival	Strive	10 Degrees Hotter Award: Best Narrative Feature	Director/Producer	Won^[60]
2019	Awareness Film Festival	Strive	Audience Award	Director/Producer	Won^[61]
2020	New Jersey International Film Festival	Strive	Best Feature Film	Director/Producer	Won^[62]
2019	DOCLA	Public Enemy Number One	Storyteller Award	Director/Producer	Won^[63]
2019	DOCLA	Public Enemy Number One	Best Producer	Director/Producer	Won^[64]
2020	American Black Film Festival	Public Enemy Number One	Grand Jury Prize, Best Documentary	Director/Producer	Nominated^[65]
2020	Seattle Film Festival	Public Enemy Number One	Best Documentary Feature	Director/Producer	Won^[66]
2022	International Motion Picture Awards	Duplicitous Minds	Best Director	Director	Won^[67]
2022	Canadian Cinematography Awards	Duplicitous Minds	Best Director	Director	Won^[68]
2023	Annie Awards	The Inventor	Best Feature—Independent	Producer	Nominated^[69]
2023	Annecy International Animation Film Festival	The Inventor	Feature Films	Producer	Nominated^[70]

Books

• Rippberger, Robert (2014). Escape to Anywhere Else. ISBN 978-1587902680.
• The Power of Storytelling: Social Impact Entertainment. Regent Press. 2022. ISBN 978-1-58790-601-5.

References

1. Collinson, Gary (June 2, 2018). "Danny Glover joins Harlem drama Strive". FlickeringMyth.
2. di Giovanni, Janine (August 21, 2016). "REPORTER DOCUMENTS LIFE IN ALEPPO IN '7 DAYS IN SYRIA'". Newsweek. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
3. DeFore, John (March 13, 2016). "'Alive and Kicking': SXSW Review". Hollywood Reporter.
4. Lang, Brett (January 27, 2016). "Blumhouse Boards Swing Dance Documentary 'Alive and Kicking' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
5. Lincoln, Ross (April 18, 2016). "Magnolia Picks Up Blumhouse SXSW Docu 'Alive And Kicking'". Deadline.
6. "'It's surreal': Filming underway on new movie "Renner" at Ascent Studios in Spring Hope". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. June 7, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
7. Grobar, Matt (May 11, 2023). "Frankie Muniz & Violett Beane To Topline Sci-Fi Thriller 'Renner' From Director Robert Rippberger". Deadline. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
8. Shockey (September 7, 2023). "Award-Winning Filmmaker Robert Rippberger Announces New Project The Inventor". LRM. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
9. Carr, Martin (May 2, 2018). "Exclusive Interview – Jim Capobianco on Disney, Pixar and his new film The Inventor". dreadcentral.com.
10. Keslassy, Elsa (September 11, 2020). "Marion Cotillard, Matt Berry Join Daisy Ridley For 'The Inventor' by 'Ratatouille' Scribe (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
11. Keslassy, Elsa (April 28, 2022). "Marion Cotillard, Daisy Ridley's Animated Feature 'The Inventor' Sold Around the World (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
12. Taylor, Drew (December 23, 2023). "The 10 Best Animated Movies of 2023". TheWrap. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
13. Annecy Film Festival. "Annecy Film Festival Competition - Film Index". www.annecyfestival.com. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
14. "THOSE WHO WALK AWAY: High-Concept Horror Flick About Male Sexual Assault Adds Nils Allen "Booboo" Stewart Jr". FlickeringMyth. August 5, 2020.
15. "Booboo Stewart and Robert Rippberger Talk Their New Film". KTLA. February 28, 2022.
16. "Five Horror Movies to Stream Now". The New York Times. March 4, 2022.
17. "Interview with Robert Rippberger and She Rises Smith About Their Upcoming Movie Strive". MarkMeets. June 4, 2018.
18. "Joi Campbell". Grammy. November 23, 2020.
19. "Judah Bellamy and Shaylin Becton Join The Lion King". Broadway.
20. "How To Build A Truth Engine". SXSW 2024 Schedule. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
21. "IMDb The Mouse That Roared".
22. "The Seattle Film Festival Winners".
23. "Doc LA Winners".
24. ""7 Days in Syria" screening in British Parliament; House of Lords". AH Tribune.
25. Standard-Examiner. "Documentary film '7 Days in Syria' showing for free Wednesday in Ogden". Standard-Examiner. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
26. Gorman, Michele (November 21, 2015). "WATCH: TRAILER FOR '7 DAYS IN SYRIA,' A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT REPORTING ON WAR". Newsweek.
27. Castillo, Monica. "Alive and Kicking". The New York Times.
28. "Alive and Kicking". Rotten Tomatoes. April 7, 2017.
29. Krupp, Tyler (December 12, 2011). "An Interview with Gideon Rosen". The New York Times.
30. "Documentary On Huntington's Wins The Dan Eldon Activist Award At The 8th Annual MY HERO International Film Festival".
31. "SIE Society".
32. "Check out Sunidhi Chauhan's Single 'AB LAUT AA'". BollySpice.com. May 7, 2013.
33. "Sanjoy ft. Sunidhi Chauhan - Ab Laut Aa - Official Music Video". YouTube.com.
34. ""VIMA India 2014 Winners List"". Bite My Music. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
35. Gonzales, David (November 12, 2008). "'Wild Style' at 25: A Film That Envisioned the Future of Hip-Hop Culture". The New York Times.
36. "Regent Press Titles". Regent Press.
37. "Escape to Anywhere Else". Barnes and Noble.
38. Gandleman, Joe. "BOOK REVIEW: Escape to Anywhere Else by Robert Rippberger".
39. "Team".
40. "Robert Rippberger". HuffPost.
41. "Prizes and Honors / Roselyn Schneider Eisner Prizes in Film and Video". Berkeley.edu.
42. "Robert Rippberger". The Internet Movie Database.
43. "Kickstart Sunday: STRIVER'S ROW | Film Pulse". Film Pulse. April 23, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
44. Grobar, Matt (November 15, 2023). "'Our Son' Sets Vertical Release; Billy Porter & Luke Evans Top Custody Battle Drama". Deadline. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
45. "The Makers". The Inventor Film. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
46. Morfoot, Addie (October 14, 2021). "George Clooney's Smokehouse Pictures Joins 'How to Build a Truth Engine' Doc (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
47. "Frankie Muniz & Violett Beane To Topline Sci-Fi Thriller 'Renner' From Director Robert Rippberger | Deadline". Deadline. May 11, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
48. Port 22. "Sanjoy ft. Sunidhi Chauhan - Ab Laut Aa - Official Music Video". YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
49. "Sanjoy - Set Me Free". YouTube.
50. Port 22. "Busy Bee - Suicide - Official Music Video". YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
51. "Prizes and Honors / Roselyn Schneider Eisner Prizes in Film and Video". Berkeley.edu.
52. "Documentary On Huntington's Wins The Dan Eldon Activist Award At The 8th Annual MY HERO International Film Festival".
53. fffintern. "Fingal Film Festival Winners Announced". Fingal Film Festival.
54. "The Lift-Off Season Awards". Lift-Off Network. February 5, 2019.
55. "The 9th Annual Frankfort Film Festival". Visit Benzie. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
56. "THAT'S A WRAP: PSIFF Awards and "Best of Fest" Winners". Coachella Valley Weekly. January 18, 2017.
57. "Harlem International Film Festival: 2019 Awards".
58. "American Black Film Festival (ABFF) 2019 Awards Winners".
59. "American Black Film Festival (ABFF) 2019 Awards Winners".
60. "Audience and Juried Award Winners". The Valley Film Festival. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
61. "Awards". Awareness Film Festival. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
62. "Awards". New Jersey Film Festival. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
63. "2019 Awards". DOCLA.org. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
64. "2019 Awards". DOCLA.org. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
65. "American Black Film Festival (ABFF) 2020 Awards Winners".
66. "2019 Awards". twitter.com. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
67. "International Motion Picture Awards Winners".
68. "Canadian Cinematography Award Best Film of the Month".
69. "51st Annual Annie Awards". annieawards.org. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
70. Annecy Film Festival. "Annecy 2023 Official Selection". www.annecyfestival.com. Retrieved January 25, 2024.

External links

• Robert Rippberger at IMDb
• Robert Rippberger on X
• Robert Rippberger website
• 7 Days in Syria documentary film website
• SIE Society Website
• Escape to Anywhere Else Book
• The Power of Storytelling: Social Impact Entertainment Book