Vanessa Parise is an American film director, writer, producer, and actress based in New York City. Her first feature film Kiss the Bride won the Golden Starfish Award at the Hamptons Film Festival in 2002. Her television movies, Perfect High and Drink Slay Love have been named by the Lifetime’s Broad Focus initiative. Parise has been nominated for Leo Awards for Best Direction for Lighthouse in 2015, for Perfect High in 2016, for Beyond in 2018, and for The Simone Biles Story in 2019. Her television movie The Simone Biles Story was nominated for Best Television Movie and Best Lead Actress by the NAACP Awards in 2019.
Early life Born in New York City and raised in Rhode Island, Parise ended her pursuit of a medical degree at Harvard Medical School to venture into the business as actor/writer/director/producer. on the feature film Kiss the Bride, starring Parise and Alyssa Milano.
Career Parise ended her pursuit of a medical degree at Harvard Medical School to venture into the business as actor/writer/director/producer on the feature film Kiss the Bride. Parise followed this with the film Jack and Jill vs the World which raised money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and then enjoyed a limited theatrical release. She has directed the television movies "The Unauthorized Beverly Hills 90210 Story", "Perfect High", and "Status Unknown". As a writer, she has sold multiple spec features including BFF. Parise sold the pilot script The New Twenty to Freeform.
Parise is the co-executive producer and directing producer on The Flash and she was the co-executive producer and directing producer on Charmed. She directed the Tim Kring series Beyond, for which she was nominated for a Leo Award for Best Direction in 2018, and episodes of the Amazon series Just Add Magic. She also directed the series Andi Mack.
Nominations and honors Parise received a 2019 Leo Award Win for Best Direction of "Simone Biles: Courage to Soar," a 2016 Leo Award nomination for Best Direction of Perfect High and a 2015 Leo award nomination for Best Direction of #POPFAN. She was named by Lifetime with their Broad Focus Top 5 Original Movies 2015, and by SheKnows as one of Ten Female Directors Breaking Stereotypes in 2014. Her film Kiss the Bride won the Hamptons Film Festival’s Golden Starfish Award for Best Feature. At Cinequest, she won the Director’s Award. She also won the Excellence In Filmmaking Award at Sarasota, Best Actress, and Best Score at Montecarlo, and Best Feature at RIFF.
Filmography 2024Grey's AnatomyDirectorSeries, ABC2021–2023The FlashCo-Executive Producer/Director (multiples)Series, The CW2020-2022 Firefly LaneDirector (multiples)Series, Netflix2020 The Good Doctor Director Series, ABC The Resident Series, FOX Chicago Med Series, NBC 2019 Runaways Series, Hulu 2018 Charmed Co-Executive Producer/Director (multiples) Series, The CWBFFCo-WriterFeature Film, RaindancerThe Simone Biles Story: Courage to SoarDirectorFeature Film, Lifetime2017 Beyond Director Series, Freeform2017 Drink Slay Love Director Pilot (BD), Lifetime2016Andi MackDirectorSeries, Disney Channel2016 Straight As Director MOW, Lifetime2016 Just Add Magic Director (multiples) Series, Amazon2016 Project Mc2 Director (multiples) Series, Netflix2015 Beverly Hills 90210 Story Director MOW, Lifetime2015 Perfect High Director MOW, Lifetime2014 #Popfan Director MOW, Lifetime2014 Demo Girl Writer Feature Film, Up2014 When Calls the Heart Writer Series, Hallmark2013The Wedding ChapelDirectorMOW, NGN2013 Status Unknown Director MOW, Lifetime2013Coming Home for ChristmasDirectorMOW, NGN2012 Shape Writer Pilot, Tricon2009 On Set On Edge Director Web Series, Warner Bros2008 Jack & Jill vs The World Writer/Director Feature Film, MGM2003 Kiss the Bride Writer/Director Feature Film, MGM
References
External links
Vanessa Parise website