Robert Roussel, born in Minneapolis on August 9, 1960, did undergraduate work at the University of Minnesota, where he was an intern under the award-winning Romanian director, Liviu Ciulei, at the Tyrone Guthrie Theater. Throughout his graduate work in England, he studied under Trevor Nunn at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
In 1980, Roussel was hired by the first annual Minneapolis Film Festival to oversee the visit of honoree George Roy Hill, who had won an Academy Award for his direction of THE STING. Roussel then was hired by Hill as his assistant on THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP and went on to work for Hill and Warner Brothers for over fifteen years developing projects including THE LITTLE DRUMMER GIRL, MISERY, FUNNY FARM, SHADOWLANDS and GRUMPIER OLD MEN.
Roussel initiated the film and lecture series for the Metropolitan Museum of Art which brought Jessica Tandy, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Kurt Vonnegut, John Irving, Glenn Close, Robin Williams and William Goldman to the museum, and wrote the printed film catalog published by the museum for the film series.
He also founded the Berkshire Film Society in Massachusetts which attracted Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Robert Wise, Arthur Penn, George Roy Hill and James Ivory to its Salute to the Director series, and was soon asked to co-write George Roy Hill’s personal memoirs.
In 2001, Roussel relocated to Mexico and co-founded the Puerto Vallarta Film Festival with Danny and Anjelica Huston. For nine years, Roussel served as President and Executive Director of the festival as well as the film commissioner for the State of Nayarit in Mexico. During this time, he co-produced two Syfy films with the legendary producer Roger Corman.
Roussel is currently working on the personal memoirs of the late casting icon, Marion Dougherty.
Author and Filmmaker
ROBERT ROUSSEL