Cooper Michael Raiff (born February 11, 1997) is an American filmmaker and actor. He has received critical acclaim for his films ''
Shithouse'' (2020) and ''
Cha Cha Real Smooth'' (2022). He appeared on the 2022 ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' list of directors to watch. In August 2022, Raiff launched his production company Small Ideas.
Early life
A native of
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, Raiff attended the
Greenhill School in
Addison, Texas
Addison is an incorporated town in Dallas County, Texas, in the United States. Addison is situated to the immediate north of the city of Dallas, with a 2020 census population of 16,661. Addison and Flower Mound were the only two Texas municipalit ...
.
He participated in school theatre productions and studied at the Dallas Young Actors Studio for 4 years.
[ During his senior year, he wrote and performed in his first play. Raiff enrolled at ]Occidental College
Occidental College (informally Oxy) is a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887 as a coeducational college by clergy and members of the Presbyterian Church, it became non-sectarian in 1910. It is one of the oldes ...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
and withdrew in 2019 to focus on film.
Career
During spring break in 2018, Raiff stayed on campus to make ''Madeline & Cooper'', a 50-minute short film that he uploaded to YouTube.Jay Duplass
Lawrence Jay Duplass (born March 7, 1973) is an American filmmaker, actor and author widely known for his films '' The Puffy Chair'' (2005), '' Cyrus'' (2010), and '' Jeff, Who Lives at Home'' (2011), made in collaboration with his younger brothe ...
, who met with Raiff and encouraged him to adapt the project to feature-length; it became Raiff's
debut feature '' Shithouse'', in which he starred, directed, wrote, produced, and co-edited. The film premiered at the 2020 SXSW
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...
where it was named Best Narrative Feature. Distributed by IFC Films
IFC Films is an American film production and distribution company based in New York. It is an offshoot of IFC owned by AMC Networks. It distributes mainly independent films under its own name, select foreign films and documentaries under its Sun ...
, it opened in October 2020 to positive reviews.
Raiff's second film, '' Cha Cha Real Smooth'', premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival
The 2022 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 20 to 30, 2022. Due to COVID-19 pandemic protocol it was to have been a hybrid festival, but on January 5, 2022 it was announced that the in-person components would be scrapped in favor o ...
, where it won the Audience Award for the Dramatic Competition, and is set to be distributed by Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced ...
. The film was reportedly purchased by the company for $15 million.
Raiff's next film will be ''The Trashers'', based on the true story of the Danbury Trashers
The Danbury Trashers were a United Hockey League (UHL) professional ice hockey team located in Danbury, Connecticut, first established in 2004 as an expansion team. The team was named for its owner's business in waste management; James Galante p ...
, starring David Harbour
David Kenneth Harbour (born April 10, 1975) is an American actor. He has played supporting roles in films such as ''Brokeback Mountain'' (2005), ''Quantum of Solace'' (2008), '' State of Play'' (2009), ''The Green Hornet'' (2011), '' End of ...
as mobster James Galante and Cooper Hoffman as his son, AJ. For his first television project, Raiff is attached to direct and co-write an adaptation of Naoise Dolan's novel '' Exciting Times'' starring Phoebe Dynevor
Phoebe Harriet Dynevor (; born 17 April 1995) is an English actress. Dynevor is known for her role as Daphne, the fourth Bridgerton child, in the Netflix period drama ''Bridgerton'' (2020–present).
She began her career as a child actress, ...
for Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one ...
.
On August 2, 2022, it was announced that Raiff has partnered with Clementine Quittner of Black Bear Productions to launch his own production company called Small Ideas. Raiff commented on the company, and the film industry at large, saying, "There's a very good, lucrative market for making small things and flipping them, and if you're okay with them being maybe like a streamer-theatrical duo, I think everyone should be really feeling great and confident about getting their stuff made that they want to make."
On October 16, 2022, Raiff was given the Maverick Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival
The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) is an annual film festival in Newport Beach, California, typically held in late April. In 2022, it was announced that the festival have permanently changed its date to be held in October, as the festival be ...
.
On November 18, 2022, Raiff was named Forbes 30 under 30 for Hollywood & Entertainment.
Artistry
Raiff has cited Emma Seligman, Sofia Coppola
Sofia Carmina Coppola (; born May 14, 1971) is an American filmmaker and actress. The youngest child and only daughter of filmmakers Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola, she made her film debut as an infant in her father's acclaimed crime drama film ...
, Greta Gerwig
Greta Celeste Gerwig (; born August 4, 1983) is an American actress, screenwriter, and director. She first garnered attention after working on and appearing in several mumblecore films. Between 2006 and 2009, she appeared in a number of films ...
, Ryan Coogler
Ryan Kyle Coogler (born May 23, 1986) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is a recipient of four NAACP Image Awards, four Black Reel Awards, a Golden Globe Award nomination and an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture ...
, and the Duplass brothers as influences.
Filmography
Film
Awards and recognition
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raiff, Cooper
Living people
Year of birth uncertain
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American screenwriters
Film directors from Texas
Male actors from Dallas
Screenwriters from Texas
1997 births