Riley Stearns (born June 29, 1986) is an American filmmaker best known for directing the films Faults (2014) and The Art of Self-Defense (2019), and Dual (2022).[1]
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]
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 2010, he married actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, whom he met during an ocean cruise in 2002.[9] She starred in his first two short films, before starring in his feature film debut, Faults in 2014.[10]
The couple separated in 2017, and divorced later that year.[11]
Stearns is a black belt[12] in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and won a bronze medal at the 2022 ADCC Open in the 70kg Masters Pro division.[13]
Short film
Feature film