Riley Stearns
American filmmaker (born 1986)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Riley Stearns (born June 29, 1986) is an American filmmaker who has directed three feature films: Faults (2014), The Art of Self-Defense (2019), and Dual (2022).[1]
Riley Stearns | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 29, 1986 Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Spouse | |
Early life
Stearns was born on June 29, 1986, in Austin, Texas, and grew up in Pflugerville, Texas.[2] He attended University of Texas at Austin, but dropped out after being turned down by the film program.[3]
Career
Initially wanting to be a musician, Stearns became involved in filmmaking after visiting various movie sets and after being advised on being a screenwriter by Final Destination 3 director James Wong.[4]
Stearns worked as a writer for Cartoon Network's Tower Prep, and for the television series My Own Worst Enemy and Bionic Woman.[5] His short film The Cub became his first film to be premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, and also to be featured by Vice Media.[6][7]
He released his feature debut Faults in 2014. It was later chosen to be part of the Best Unproduced Scripts Black List of 2013.[citation needed] Stearns wrote and directed a second feature, The Art of Self-Defense, which was released in 2019.[1] In 2022, he released his third feature film Dual.[8]
In 2025, he directed the music video for the song "Radioactive Dreams", the first single from the Chat Pile and Hayden Pedigo collaborative album In The Earth Again.[9]
Personal life
In 2010, he married actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, whom he met during an ocean cruise in 2002.[10] She starred in his first two short films, before starring in his feature film debut, Faults in 2014.[11]
The couple separated in 2017, and divorced later that year.[12]
Stearns is a black belt[13] in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and won a bronze medal at the 2022 ADCC Open in the 70kg Masters Pro division.[14]
Filmography
Short film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Magnificat | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2012 | Casque | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2013 | The Cub | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Feature film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Faults | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2019 | The Art of Self-Defense | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2022 | Dual | Yes | Yes | Yes |