Russ Camarda

Russ is a versatile and accomplished director/actor/acting coach/cinematographer, screenwriter, and editor – a rare combination of skills – with over 30 years of professional experience. He has directed and acted in a variety of stage and film productions, showcasing his versatility and talent.

Along with experience shooting over 2000 event and wedding films over the years, Russ’ company, TAG Studio, has produced , co- produced , shot and/ or edited award winning commercial video projects. Russ has won 6 National Telly Awards and the BOLI (Best of Long Island) Award for advertising.

In film and media, Russ has an impressive track record, having produced seven independent feature films, directed two, and starred in and edited five of them. Notably, he directed and produced “Lower Than the Angels,” an award-winning adaptation of a stage play that received Best Feature Film at the Long Island BF Film Festival in 2006. Another notable work is the thriller “Night for Day,” which Russ directed and produced, earning him the Best Long Island Feature award at the Long Island International Film EXPO, as well as a Best Actor award. Russ’ film “The Video Guys,” a comedy in which he co-produced and acted, achieved great success, winning Best Feature Film at the International Family Film Festival imn Hollywood, the Hoboken Film Festival, and the LI Film Expo. His film “Send No Flowers,” in which he co-starred with Sean Young and Tony LoBianco, earned him a Best Actor award and Best Editing award at the LI Film Expo. It secured distribution with Multicom Entertainment Group and is available for streaming worldwide. Another film he produced and edited, “The Night Never Sleeps,“ featuring renowned actors such as Armand Assante, Eric Roberts, and Robert Clohessy, received critical acclaim and garnered Russ a Best Supporting Actor award at the Hoboken Film Festival and the LI Film Expo. His documentary “Come Hell or High Water,” which he shot, co-produced, and edited in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, won Best Feature Documentary at the Queens World Film Festival in 2005.

As a theater director, Russ has helmed acclaimed productions of classic plays such as “Julius Caesar” (winner of the Off Broadway Oobr award) “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,”” Othello” and “A Streetcar Named Desire”, among many others, captivating audiences in the NYC-Tri-State area.

In addition to his notable achievements in film and theater, Russ has also dedicated his time to teaching acting technique through his classes called The Acting Gym since 1996, offering aspiring actors on Long Island professional training in their local area. With a background in various acting techniques, including Meisner, Method, and Practical Aesthetics, the thrust of what Russ tries to communicate to cast, crew and audience, is the service to story. 

What is the story you are there to tell? What is your function in telling it and how best can it be heard and felt truthfully?