Title: Assistant Professor
Education: BS, University of Michigan; MFA Film Production, USC
Program Track: Film Production
Phone: 310-258-4676
E-mail: gruzzin@lmu.edu
Personal Web Site: www.ninebynine.com

Writer and Director Gregory Ruzzin’s second feature film The Hungry Bachelor's Club (starring Bill Nunn and Jorja Fox) opened in theaters nationwide in November, 1999. The film was written by Fred Dresch, produced by Amy Sommer and Robb New and executive produced by Kimberly Becker. It was released on DVD in December, 2004  through Razor Digital Entertainment under the title Food for the Heart.

Before bringing his script Blue Skies Are a Lie (starring Keith Brunsmann and Julie Moses) to the screen as his feature film writing and directing debut, Ruzzin directed a total of thirteen short films. Blue Skies Are a Lie premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival in October, 1995 and traveled widely on the film festival circuit before being picked up for domestic distribution by WunderHund Releasing. The film opened to enthusiastic reviews and strong audience support in April of 1998. Ruzzin's most ambitious project as writer/director prior to Blue Skies Are a Lie was his 35mm short film Hollywood (and Vine). The film premiered at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival and traveled widely on the film festival circuit.

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Ruzzin earned his Bachelor of General Studies with concentrations in Literature, Cinema, and Theatre from the University of Michigan. After graduating he worked in Detroit as a free-lance commercial set designer and constructor before moving to Hollywood. In Los Angeles, Ruzzin attended the University of Southern California where he earned his Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University's prestigious School of Cinema and Television. 

Since graduating from USC in 1989, Ruzzin has worked in various capacities within the film industry. In addition to free-lance cinematography, Ruzzin worked as a development assistant at Carolco Television and the Andrew Adelson Company. From 1990 through 1994, Ruzzin was the Director of Panavision International's New Filmmaker Program.

Ruzzin continues to write his own material in collaboration with several writers and has three brand new feature film scripts including Promise, an intense family drama, The Barbie Murders, a sci-fi police thriller based on the short story by John Varley, and The Transit of Venus, which tells the harrowing tale of Captain James Cook’s daring 1768 voyage to Tahiti, ready for production. He is currently in pre-production with producer Jack Newalu for the W.W.II feature film Purple Hearts, based upon the stage play by Brian Burgess Clark, and shooting a documentary called Lost Child about the challenges facing the mentally handicapped in the modern world.

In addition to directing his own projects, Ruzzin works as a picture editor and 2nd Unit Director. He recently edited the feature film Heavens Fall starring Timothy Hutton, Leelee Sobieski, and David Straithern for director Terry Green. He edited the feature film Shadow Glories for Hamzeh Mystique films and was 2nd Unit Director and Additional Editor for the feature film Almost Salinas starring John Mahoney.