Biography

Director

Willo Hausman

After graduating NYU with a BFA in acting, Willo was the Founding Artistic Director of NRG, a theatre company in NYC which primarily employed a film-based crew and performed verite' style throughout Manhattan. NRGS' most notable endeavor, The Hobbywood Canteen, was performed on a soundstage at Culver Studios in LA where it received much kudos and notoriety. While attending the Tisch School at NYU Willo was also honored with the opportunity to perform in a few David Mamet movies where she honed her skills as an actor. Willo enriched her film knowledge by continuing training on many high-powered film sets, working in a multitude of capacities, including Nobody's Fool (Stand-in/Perdiem-Envelope-Stuffer and Art Department Production Assistant), Family Thing (Set PA and Casting Assistant), People Vs. Larry Flynt (Extras Casting Director), Twilight (Producer's Assistant) and Man on the Moon (Camera Assistant). Willo also spent many years in her youth working by her father's side at his NY-based production company, Cinehaus. Recently Willo has been involved in a lot of casting work.

Fairie was Willo's filmic directorial debut. A fantastical tale about 9 fairy creatures celebrating the new millennium at the Hollywood sign. Willo also shot and directed Last Day at Cinetel,, a short work in the reality genre, humorously revealing the inherent frustrations of being an artist trapped in a menial job. Recently, Willo directed a well-received and elaborate theatrical production of A Christmas Carol, combining cinema, an original score, Victorian Steampunk costumes and an exquisite gothic-hued set. In 2010 she helmed an innovative stage version of Dracula. Currently in the works are a grand scale version of Frankenstein, a theatrical trilogy of Grim and a play based on the intriguing life of Willo's mother, actress Diane Varsi. In active development are two feature films: Clare, a murder mystery revolving around a clan of modern-day witches living in the midst of a bustling metropolis and Among The Wonderful, a vintage tale about the adventures of a giantess and a taxidermist who work at Barnum's American Museum circa NYC 1842. Also on the slate are a sitcom (The Vibe), an Edward Gorey based film, a Buster Keaton bio-movie and a documentary film about mental illness.

Willo is the founder of Gryphon Pictures, a LA and SF-based production company.

- IMDb mini biography by: Willo Hausman