Emily Russo is co-president and co-founder of the New York-based distribution company Zeitgeist Films. Founded with Nancy Gerstman in1988, Zeitgeist acquires and distributes acclaimed documentary and feature films from the United States and around the world. In over 33 years of business, Zeitgeist has released more than 200 films and has become internationally known as one of the premiere film distribution companies.
Five Zeitgeist films have been nominated for Academy Awards and one, NOWHERE IN AFRICA, won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. SOPHIE SCHOLL: THE FINAL DAYS, was nominated in this category in 2006. Zeitgeist’s films have been honored by festivals throughout the world with Grand Prizes at Cannes, Berlin, Sundance, Tribeca, and IDFA in Amsterdam.
Zeitgeist is also renowned for their ground-breaking documentaries, which included LET’S GET LOST, THE CORPORATION, TROUBLE THE WATER, LAST TRAIN HOME, MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY, BALLETS RUSSES, MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES, THE GLEANERS AND I, UP THE YANGTZE, and BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK.
Russo graduated from SUNY Binghamton with a degree in Cinema Studies.
The Museum of Modern Art honored Zeitgeist Films with a month-long 20th Anniversary retrospective of their films in 2008.
In 2017 Zeitgeist entered a multi-year partnership with Kino Lorber which continues to enhance their scope of theatrical releases with titles such as BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STOR and OLIVER SACKS: HIS OWN LIFE.
She has been a member of the Academy’s Executive Branch since 2017.