Resting set face. Photo by Hannah Rosalie Wright.
Checking out the Cooke lenses. Photo by Nick Ford.
Always watching. Photo by Hannah Rosalie Wright.
Reppin' Des Moines hard. Photo by Hanna Rosalie Wright.
Helping talent with sign language. Photo by Ashton Walden.
Directing Emily Solo in Knee High. Photo by Ben Handler.
Marissa Vonn is a Director, Writer, and First Assistant Director based in Los Angeles, California.
She loves telling compelling stories with unexpected protagonists and moments that tug on your heartstrings. Family dramas, cerebral thrillers, and anything with an authentic lead character are Marissa’s preferred projects. She has a passion for creating complex roles that challenge actors and absolutely loves collaborating with her cast to bring performances that feel authentic and powerful.
Marissa grew up in Iowa and still returns frequently. Her past few films (Next of Kin, Domicile, and Knee High) were all filmed in Iowa with frequent collaborators, DEFT. She loves bringing together crews that turn into friends and keeps a strict “no a******s” policy. She is currently prepping for her next short, DRYLAND.
On a day to day basis, Marissa can be found in the credits of feature and short films as a First Assistant Director. She is not currently represented.
Press
“While I'd love to see a film like Knee High at a multiplex, the truth is a film like Knee High isn't made because you expect to make millions. It's made because the story needs to be told.
Indeed, Knee High tells a story that needs to be told and is a film that deserves to be seen. “ - The Independent Critic on KNEE HIGH
Click here to listen to Marissa speak with Keith Rich on the Varsity Cinema Podcast: Episode 14: “It’s Not A Transformer”
Click here to listen to Marissa Vonn and Bruce Bales speak with Charity Nebbe on “Talk of Iowa” for Iowa Public Radio: Talk of Iowa November 30, 2023
Watch a special episode of the MediaVerse Studios podcast featuring Marissa, Bruce Bales, and Michael Ridley at Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival here: MediaVerse Studios CRIFF
Listen in on Marissa’s conversation with Jacob Daniels of MediaVerse Studios: MediaVerse Studios Podcast Episode 8
"“I think it’s a really relatable story that a lot of people in Iowa and the Midwest can really connect with, and those are the stories I really like to tell.” Read more of what was said in an interview with Bruce Bales and Ben Bergthold for Our Quad Cities here: QC Talent Grows New Feature Film
“Marissa Vonn does an amazingly effective job of telling this story in all the best, most engaging ways…She takes her time with the story, with the characters and with everything else, yet is still able to completely nail the pacing on this film.”
“Next of Kin, Marissa Vonn’s 10-minute drama, has two things right off the bat that makes it so compelling: its protagonist, and the relationship they share with their colleague, the only other character in the plot.”
Click here to read: The Women's Direction Featured Filmmaker Article
Click here to see: Boyish Media Profile
Read Voyage LA’s write up on Marissa here: Voyage LA
Read Marissa’s short interview with Shoutout Atlanta here: Shoutout Atlanta
“Just under 14 minutes long, Marissa Vonn establishes the relationship dynamics with swift efficiency in this slice of life tale. Every act in ‘Knee High’ is exquisite; like neat little pieces in a puzzle.”
“Vonn clearly "gets" it, she understands rural America and she brings intelligence, insight and sensitivity to everything that unfolds in a world where making a living requires dawn-to-dusk hard labor.”