RaMell Ross

Last updated
RaMell Ross
RaMell Ross 2018 (cropped).jpg
Ross at the 2018 Montclair Film Festival
Born1982 (age 4243)
Education
Occupation(s) Film director, photographer, professor
Notable work Nickel Boys (2024)
Website http://www.ramellross.com

RaMell Ross is an American filmmaker, photographer, academic, and writer. His directorial debut, Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018), earned him a Peabody Award, and nominations for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and the Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. Ross directed and co-wrote the screenplay for the 2024 film adaptation of the novel The Nickel Boys (2019), for which he won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director, [1] [2] [3] and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Contents

Early life and education

Ross was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and raised in Fairfax, Virginia, where he attended Lake Braddock Secondary School. [4] [5]

In 2005, Ross graduated from Georgetown University, where he majored in English and sociology and played on the Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team. [1] [5] He later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in photography from the Rhode Island School of Design. [5]

Career

In 2006, Ross moved to Ireland to work for Playing For Peace's Northern Ireland initiative. While in Ireland he played professional basketball for MDS Star of the Sea Belfast, a team in Ireland's SuperLeague North Division. It was here he would first get an interest in directing and video editing as he worked as an apprentice of the video editor for North Star Basketball. [6]

In 2009, Ross moved to Greensboro, Alabama for a position as a basketball coach and photography teacher. [7] These experiences inspired multiple collections of photographs and art installments inspired by Black life in the American South. [8]

Filmmaker Magazine named Ross among "25 New Faces of Independent Film" in 2015. That year, he was a Sundance Institute New Frontier Artist in Residence at the MIT Media Lab. [9] He joined faculty of the Brown Arts Initiative at Brown University in 2016, where he currently serves as an assistant professor of visual art. [10] Soon after, he was awarded a two-year Mellon Gateway Fellowship. [11]

Ross' directorial debut, Hale County This Morning, This Evening , an experimental documentary about Black life in Hale County, Alabama, premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. [12] He was awarded the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision at the festival. The film went on to win a Peabody Award and in 2019 was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and the Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. [13]

Easter Snap, Ross' documentary short depicting five men preparing a hog to be butchered in a ritualistic fashion, debuted at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. [14] [1]

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art presented a retrospective of Ross' artwork, titled Spell, Time, Practice, American, Body: The Work of RaMell Ross from October 2021 to March 2022. A book of Ross' work titled Spell Time, Practice, American, Body was released in 2023. [8]

Nickel Boys , Ross' film adaptation of the Colson Whitehead novel The Nickel Boys , debuted at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2024. [15] The film opened the 2024 New York Film Festival. [16]

Filmography

YearTitleNotesRef.
2018 Hale County This Morning, This Evening [1]
2019Easter SnapDocumentary short [14]
2024 Nickel Boys [16]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef.
2018 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Award for Creative Vision Hale County This Morning, This Evening Won [1]
Gotham Awards Best Documentary Won [a] [12]
2019 Academy Awards Best Documentary Feature Film Nominated [a] [1]
Primetime Emmy Awards Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking Nominated [b] [1]
Peabody Awards Documentary CategoryWon [c] [13]
Chicago International Film Festival Best Documentary ShortEaster SnapWon [1]
2024 Gotham Awards Best Feature Nickel Boys Nominated [17]
Best Director Won
New York Film Critics Circle Best Director Won [18]
Astras Film Awards Best Adapted ScreenplayNominated [d] [19]
Boston Society of Film Critics Best Adapted Screenplay Won [d] [20]
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Director Won [21]
Best Adapted Screenplay Won [d]
Breakthrough FilmmakerWon
Toronto Film Critics Association Best Director Won [22]
Best Screenplay Won [d]
2025 National Society of Film Critics Best Director Runner-up [23]
Georgia Film Critics Association Best DirectorNominated [24]
Best Adapted ScreenplayWon [d]
Breakthrough AwardWon
Satellite Awards Best Director Nominated [25]
Best Adapted Screenplay Won [d]
Critics Choice Awards Best Director Pending [26]
Best Adapted Screenplay Pending [d]
British Academy Film Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Pending [d] [27]
Academy Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Pending [d] [28]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Shared with Joslyn Barnes and Su Kim.
  2. Shared with Joslyn Barnes, Su Kim, and Lois Vossen.
  3. Recognized as one of ten honorees.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Shared with Joslyn Barnes.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danielle Deadwyler</span> American actress and writer (born 1982)

Danielle Deadwyler is an American actress. She began her career as a theatre actress in Atlanta, Georgia. She then transitioned to film and television roles and made her screen debut in the 2012 drama film A Cross to Bear. Deadwyler appeared in the primetime soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots (2015–2017), the drama series P-Valley (2020), and the miniseries Station Eleven (2021–2022) and From Scratch (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joslyn Barnes</span> American film producer

Joslyn Barnes is a film producer and writer. Known for Bamako (2006), The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011), Cemetery of Splendour (2015), White Sun (2016), Zama (2017), Strong Island (2017) for which she received an Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking and an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature nomination, and Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018) for which she received an Oscar nomination again for Best Documentary Feature. Barnes also produced and co-wrote the 2024 drama Nickel Boys, along with co-writer and director RaMell Ross, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

<i>Hale County This Morning, This Evening</i> 2018 American film

Hale County This Morning, This Evening is a 2018 American documentary film about the lives of black people in Hale County, Alabama. It is directed by RaMell Ross and produced by RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes, Su Kim, and is Ross's first nonfiction feature. The documentary is the winner of 2018 Sundance Film Festival award for U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Creative Vision, 2018 Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Documentary Feature and the Cinema Eye Honors Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It was released in theaters on September 14, 2018, later aired on television as part of the PBS series Independent Lens, and eventually won a 2020 Peabody Award.

<i>The Nickel Boys</i> 2019 novel by Colson Whitehead

The Nickel Boys is a 2019 novel by American novelist Colson Whitehead. It is based on the historic Dozier School, a reform school in Florida that operated for 111 years and was revealed as highly abusive. A university investigation found numerous unmarked graves for unrecorded deaths and a history into the late 20th century of emotional and physical abuse of students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Payal Kapadia (filmmaker)</span> Indian filmmaker

Payal Kapadia is an Indian filmmaker. In 2017, her short film Afternoon Clouds was the only Indian film selected for the 70th Cannes Film Festival. In 2021, she won the Golden Eye award for best documentary film at the 74th Cannes Film Festival for her debut feature A Night of Knowing Nothing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yura Borisov</span> Russian actor (born 1992)

Yuri Alexandrovich "Yura" Borisov is a Russian actor. He made his acting film debut in the crime drama Elena (2011). He portrayed Mikhail Kalashnikov in AK-47 (2020). He has also starred in films such as The Bull (2019), The Silver Skates (2020), Captain Volkonogov Escaped (2021), and Compartment No. 6 (2021). For his performance in Anora (2024), he received nominations for Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice, SAG Awards, BAFTAs and Academy Awards.

<i>Nickel Boys</i> 2024 film by RaMell Ross

Nickel Boys is a 2024 American historical drama film based on the 2019 novel The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. It was directed by RaMell Ross, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joslyn Barnes, and stars Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson, alongside Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. The story follows two African-American boys, Elwood and Turner, who are sent to an abusive reform school in 1960s Florida. The film is inspired by the Dozier School for Boys, a now-closed Florida reform school notorious for its abusive treatment of students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Director</span>

The Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Director is one of the annual Gotham Awards. It was established in 2024. RaMell Ross is the first winner of the award for Nickel Boys (2024).

The 90th New York Film Critics Circle Awards, honoring the best in film for 2024, were announced on December 3, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Wilson (actor)</span> American actor

Brandon Wilson is an American actor. He had a supporting role in The Way Back (2020) and a leading role in Nickel Boys (2024). His breakout performance in the latter earned him a Gotham Award.

The 50th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, given by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), honoured the best in film for 2024. The awards were announced on December 8, 2023. Anora received the most awards with three wins, including Best Film, Best Lead Performance and Best Supporting Performance.

Jomo Fray is an American cinematographer. He is best known for his work on Nickel Boys (2024), for which he earned a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography. He is also known for his work on Port Authority (2019), Selah and the Spades (2020) and All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2024</span> Annual film critics awards

The 37th Chicago Film Critics Association Awards were presented to recognize the best in film of 2024. The nominations were announced on December 10, 2024. The Brutalist received the most nominations with nine, followed by The Substance with seven. Meanwhile, Anora, Nickel Boys and Wicked each received six nominations.

The 45th Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, honoring the best in filmmaking in 2024, were given on December 8, 2024. Unlike previous editions of the awards, runner-up standings were not announced.

The 28th Toronto Film Critics Association Awards, honouring the best films released in 2024, were announced on December 15, 2024.

The 59th National Society of Film Critics Awards, given on January 4, 2025, honored the best in film for 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "RaMell Ross". United States Artists . Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  2. Kramer, Karen (December 14, 2024). "How RaMell Ross' 'Nickel Boys' Embraces and Expands the Legacy of Stanley Kramer (Guest Column)". Variety . Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  3. Lewis, Hilary (December 3, 2024). "New York Film Critics Circle Names 'The Brutalist' as Best Film of 2024". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  4. "Spell, Time, Practice, American, Body: The Work of Ramell Ross at the Ogden Museum". Lenscratch. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 "RaMell Ross". Hoya Basketball. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  6. "Former Hoya Standout Ramell Ross Playing in Ireland, Playing for Peace". Brown Alumni Magazine. 28 November 2006. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  7. "A Symphony of Moments". Brown Alumni Magazine. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  8. 1 2 Orr, Niela. "The Literary Lexicon of RaMell Ross". Oxford American. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  9. "RaMell Ross". Ogden Museum of Southern Art. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  10. "Artist, scholar RaMell Ross heads to the Oscars with 'Hale County' up for best documentary". Brown University. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  11. "Brown Arts Institute FY18" (PDF). Brown University. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  12. 1 2 "RaMell Ross - Hale County This Morning, This Evening". New York University. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Peabody 30 Winners". Peabody Awards. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  14. 1 2 "Easter Snap". Field of Vision. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  15. Feinberg, Scott. "Telluride: 'Nickel Boys,' Adapted from Colson Whitehead's Book, Will Challenge Oscar Voters". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  16. 1 2 "RaMell Ross's Nickel Boys Will Open the 62nd New York Film Festival". Film at Lincoln Center. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  17. Lewis, Hilary; Chuba, Kirsten (2024-12-02). "2024 Gotham Awards: 'A Different Man' Wins Best Feature as 'Nickel Boys', 'Sing Sing' Each Take Two". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  18. D'Alessandro, Anthony (2024-12-03). "New York Film Critics Circle Names 'The Brutalist' Best Film & Its Star Adrien Brody Best Actor: Winners List". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  19. "2024 Astra Film & Creative Arts Awards Nominations Have Arrived" (Press release). The Astras. 2024-11-25. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  20. "BSFC Names 'Anora' Best Film of 2024". Boston Society of Film Critics. 2024-12-08. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  21. Anderson, Erik (2024-12-11). "2024 Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) Winners: 'The Brutalist' is Best Pic; 'Challengers', 'Nickel Boys' Earn Multiple Awards". AwardsWatch. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  22. Anderson, Erik (2024-12-15). "2024 Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) Winners: 'Nickel Boys' Named Best Picture, RaMell Ross Wins Best Director". AwardsWatch. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  23. Buenahora, Andrés (2025-01-04). "National Society of Film Critics Award Winners: 'Nickel Boys' and 'A Real Pain' Among Top Honorees". Variety . Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  24. Anderson, Erik (2025-01-08). "2024 Georgia Film Critics Association (GAFCA) Winners". AwardsWatch. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  25. "IPA Reveals Winners for the 29th Satellite Awards". International Press Academy. 2025-01-26. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  26. Evans, Greg (2024-12-12). "'Conclave' and 'Wicked' Lead Critics Choice Awards Film Nominations – Full List". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  27. Ritman, Alex; Shafer, Ellise (2025-01-15). "BAFTA Film Awards Nominations: 'Conclave' and 'Emilia Pérez' Lead While 'Wicked' Shut Out of Best Film". Variety . Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  28. "The 97th Academy Awards | 2025". oscars.org . Retrieved 2025-01-23.