
Romina Schwedler
Romina Schwedler is an award-winning director and screenwriter based in New York City.
Romina was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina where she began her artistic career as a classical dancer. At the early age of 15, she moved to NY by herself after being selected for the School of American Ballet. She followed with music education at The Juilliard School and acting training at the William Esper Studio, during which she began to be featured in films, TV, music videos and commercials.
Daughter of a successful Argentinean actress/director and an award-winning photographer, Romina developed a passion for visual storytelling at a young age.
In 2014, she directed How a Man Gets Ready (a spec commercial/ micro-short film she also wrote, produced and starred in). Through this piece, she was selected as one of the top emerging directors of the year at SHOOT Magazine’s 12th Annual New Directors Showcase.
This piece, as well as Bad Connections (another micro-short she wrote/directed), and The Slapper Flapper (a silent comedy micro-short she shot with her phone), went on to screen at venues such as Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theater and New York's Tribeca Screening Room, receiving 23 festival awards and 4 nominations combined.
While representing her micro-shorts on the festival circuit, Romina wrote -and in time directed- her first short film, The Visit, a psychological drama starring Academy Award® Nominee June Squibb and Sean Maher, which gained inclusion in 47 film festivals, among them Oscar® Qualifying Cinequest, St. Louis International, HollyShorts, and the SAG-AFTRA Short Film Showcase, receiving 13 awards, 16 nominations, and 5 special mentions. Awards include Best Short Film, Best Overall Festival Film, and Best Director.
Romina's new film, Now You See Us, is a short comedy based on the play Boom, written by Barbara Miluski, for which Romina also wrote the adapted screenplay. The film stars Barbara Miluski and Caroline Ryburn and was shot with a mostly female crew. Now You See Us premiered recently (10/15/2020) at the Chelsea Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Award, and will be screening next (11/5-11/22) at Oscar® Qualifying St. Louis International Film Festival.
Romina is currently in the process of developing a half-hour comedy series she co-created with award-winning screenwriter James V. Hart (Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Hook, August Rush) and two-time Emmy Award winning director/producer, Scott Winant (Californication, Thirtysomething Huff).
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Awards/History
Romina's awards/nominations/mentions include:
* Honoree - Emerging Director - SHOOT Magazine New Directors Showcase - HOW A MAN GETS READY / 2014
* Win - Best Micro-Short Film Award - Houston Comedy Film Festival - HOW A MAN GETS READY / 2014
* Nomination - Best Short by a Woman - Burbank International Film Festival - HOW A MAN GETS READY / 2014
* Win - Gold Award/Concept - International Independent Film Awards - HOW A MAN GETS READY / 2014
* Win - Silver Award/New Media Film - International Independent Film Awards - HOW A MAN GETS READY / 2014
* Win - Silver Award/Editing - International Independent Film Awards - HOW A MAN GETS READY / 2014
* Win - Best Commercial - California International Shorts Festival - HOW A MAN GETS READY / 2014
* Win - Best Micro-Short by a Woman - Lionshead Film Festival - HOW A MAN GETS READY / 2014
* Win – Award of Excellence/Women Filmmakers - Accolade Global Film Competition - HOW A MAN GETS READY / 2015
* Win - Best Commercial - California International Shorts Festival - BAD CONNECTIONS / 2015
* Win - Award of Merit Special Mention - IndieFest Film Awards - BAD CONNECTIONS / 2015
* Win - Best Micro-Short by a Woman - Lionshead Film Festival - BAD CONNECTIONS / 2015
* Win - Best Micro-Short - Austin Revolution Film Festival - BAD CONNECTIONS / 2015
* Nomination - Best Micro-Short Film - Austin Comedy Film Festival - BAD CONNECTIONS / 2015
* Nomination - Female Filmmaker of the Year - Austin Revolution Film Festival / 2016
* Win - Best Micro-Comedy - Austin Revolution Film Festival - HOW A MAN GETS READY / 2016
* Win - Best Short by a Woman - Burbank International Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2016
* Nomination - Best Actor SEAN MAHER - Burbank International Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2016
* Finalist - Audience Award – Sedona International Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2017
* Honorable Mention – Myrtle Beach International Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2017
* Finalist - 39th Annual Short Film Competition - USA Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2017
* Nomination – Best Short Film CayFilm / Cayman Island International Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2017
* Nomination - FICIE - Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de Elche - Best First Short Film - THE VISIT / 2017
* Finalist - Juried Short Film Competition - Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2017
* Win - Audience Choice Award - Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2017
* Win - U.S. Short Film Award of Excellence - Catalina Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2017
* Nomination - Best Short Film (Charlie Chaplin Award) - Blow-Up International Arthouse Film Fest - THE VISIT / 2017
* Nomination - Best Actress (Monica Vitti Award) - Blow-Up International Arthouse Film Fest - THE VISIT / 2017
* Win - Audience Choice Award - Florence International Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2017
* Win - Best Actress Award JUNE SQUIBB - Florence International Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2017
* Win - Best Actor Award SEAN MAHER - Florence International Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2017
* Nomination - Best Drama Short Film - Twister Alley Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2018
* Nomination - Best Ensemble Drama Short Film - Twister Alley Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2018
* Nomination - Best Director Drama Short Film - Twister Alley Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2018
* Nomination - Best Short Film - Milledgeville + Eatonton Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2018
* Win - Best Director - Milledgeville + Eatonton Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2018
* Win - Best Supporting Actress June Squibb - Milledgeville + Eatonton Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2018
* Win - Best Dramatic Short Film - Milledgeville + Eatonton Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2018
* Nomination - Best US Short Film - SOHO International Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2018
* Nomination - Audience Award - SOHO International Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2018
* Nomination - Best Actress in a Short Film June Squibb - SOHO International Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2018
* Nomination - Best Actress/ Short Film June Squibb - Austin Revolution Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2018
* Nomination - Best US Dramatic Short Film - Austin Revolution Film Festival- THE VISIT / 2018
* Nomination - Best Cinematography/ Short Film - Austin Revolution Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2018
* Nomination - Female Filmmaker of the Year - Austin Revolution Film Festival / 2018
* Win - Best U.S. Short Film - Borderlands Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2018
* Win - Audience Award - Borderlands Film Festival - THE VISIT / 2018
* Win - Founder’s Award (for contribution to the feature film Yellow Scare) - Golden Door Film Festival - YELLOW SCARE / 2018
* Win - Honorary Award - Catfish Shorts Film Festival (London UK) - THE VISIT / 2019
* Win - Special Jury Award - Chelsea Film Festival - NOW YOU SEE US / 2020
Filmography
How a Man Gets Ready (Spec Ad/Micro-Short Film): 00:01:14
Bad Connections (Spec Ad/Micro-Short Film): 00:01:00
The Visit (Short Film/Drama): 00:12:30
Now You See Us (Short Film/Comedy): 00:11:00
Film Festival History
Hollyshorts Film Festival
Cinequest Film Festival
Vail Film Festival
CayFilm - Cayman Island International Film Festiva
CineGlobe Film Festival
Sunscreen Film Festival
Myrtle Beach International Film Festival
Vaughan International Film Festival
Maryland International Film Festival
Sedona International Film Festival
Burbank International Film Festival
Las Cruces International Film Festival
FICIE - Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de Elche
SAFILM - San Antonio Film Festival
Toronto Short Film Festival
Houston Comedy Film Festival
LA Indie Film Festival
New Filmmakers NY
Austin Comedy Film Festival
Austin Revolution Film Festival
Oregon Short Film Festival
Lionshead Film Festival
SOHO International Film Festival
Orlando Film Festival
Florence Short Film Festival
Miledgeville & Eatonton Film Festival
Borderlands Film Festival
Chelsea Film Festival
St. Louis International Film Festival
SAG-AFTRA Short Film Showcase