C.J. Renner

C.J. Renner is a screenwriter and director of short and feature films, as well as a graphic novelist, musician, and visual artist.

Renner’s work fuses the 1950s sensibilities of New Wave Cinema and Samuel Beckett with the modern vitality of Robert Eggers and Yorgos Lanthimos. In his work, a clash of existential ruin and dogged ambition are played against hyper-stylized visuals that bring viewers into the subjective reality of his protagonists.

His first feature, GUNN (2017), a prohibition-era film about rum-runners trapped in the literal void of a theatrical play, earned him praise: “What Renner did with GUNN is so spot on perfect, you’re going to wonder why no one thought of trying it before… keep an eye on C.J. Renner because this may be the calling card of a superstar.” – Unseen Films, as well as the Paris Around Film Festival’s Best Cinematography Award.

His next feature, American Tender (2018), follows a woman who turns a first date into a small-time heist. Both sweet and exhilarating, it earned him Twin Cities Film Fest’s Achievement for Innovation: “C.J. always surprises us, he’s going places, and we’re so thrilled that so many smart filmgoers from across the country discovered his talent right here at the festival this year.” – Bill Cooper, TCFF Director

C.J. holds degrees in English and Secondary Education from CSB/SJU and an MFA in Studio Art.