Anna Biller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anna Biller
Biller in June 2022
Born	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Film director producer screenwriter actress editor production designer musician costume designer
Known for	Feminist films
Notable work	Viva The Love Witch
Partner(s)	Robert Greene

Anna Biller is an American filmmaker. She is known for writing and directing the movies Viva (2007) and The Love Witch (2016). Biller calls herself a feminist filmmaker. This means her movies often explore ideas about fairness and equality for women.

Biller's films often look at stories from a woman's point of view, an idea sometimes called the female gaze. She also speaks out about the challenges women face in the movie industry.

Early Life and Education

Anna Biller was born in Los Angeles, California. Her mother is a Japanese-American fashion designer, and her father is a visual artist. Growing up, she was inspired by watching her mother make clothes and her father paint with bright colors. She also loved watching classic movies.

These early experiences had a big influence on how she makes movies today. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in art from the UCLA. Later, she received a Master of Fine Arts degree in art and film from the California Institute of the Arts. At CalArts, she studied with artists and filmmakers like Morgan Fisher and Paul McCarthy.

Filmmaking Career

Biller is known for making movies that feel like they are from an older time in Hollywood, like the 1930s to the 1950s. She does this to explore old movie styles in new ways.

Early Short Films

While studying at CalArts, Biller made her first short film, Three Examples of Myself as Queen. In the movie, Biller plays a teenager who becomes a princess with the power to turn men into dogs. One reviewer from Artforum magazine said the film "did crack a glorious smile on this audience member's face."

In 2001, she directed two more short films. One was The Hypnotist, a dramatic story. The other was A Visit from the Incubus, a horror-musical movie set in the Old West. It tells the story of a woman who is visited by a mythical creature. To get her revenge, she challenges him to a singing contest.

First Feature Film: Viva

Biller's first full-length movie was Viva, released in 2007. The film is about a 1970s housewife who decides to seek more independence and adventure in her life. The movie uses humor to look at the way women were often portrayed in 1970s films.

Viva was shown at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. It also won the Best of Fest Award at the Boston Underground Film Festival. A reviewer for Reason magazine praised the film for perfectly capturing the look and feel of 1970s movies.

The Love Witch

Biller's second movie, The Love Witch, came out in 2016. The film is about a modern-day witch named Elaine, played by Samantha Robinson. Elaine uses magic to make men fall in love with her, but her spells are too powerful and lead to trouble.

The movie explores how society's expectations can be difficult for women. Biller spent seven years making The Love Witch. She was involved in every detail, including the writing, directing, costumes, and set design. The movie was shot on film to give it the look of classic Hollywood horror movies.

Richard Brody, a critic for The New Yorker, wrote that the film "pulsates with furious creative energy." The Love Witch was named one of the best films of 2016 by many reviewers and won several awards.

Recent Work and Writing

In 2019, Biller became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This is the group that gives out the Academy Awards.

In 2017, Biller said her next movie would be based on the classic fairytale of Bluebeard. She said, "I want to make this film because I have a yearning to see more quality films for women, like the ones that were made in Hollywood’s golden age."

On December 5, 2021, Biller announced she had finished her first novel, Bluebeard's Castle. The book was released in October 2023. The Telegraph newspaper listed it as one of the best fiction books of 2023.

In July 2022, Biller announced her next film project, a ghost story called The Face of Horror. In June 2025, it was announced that actors Jonah Hauer-King, Kristine Froseth, Bella Heathcote, Ellie Bamber, and Leo Suter had joined the cast.

Personal Life

Biller lives in Los Angeles. Her partner is the author Robert Greene.

Filmography

Biller was the director, producer, writer, editor, production designer, and costume designer for all of the films listed below.

Awards

Here are some of the awards Biller has won for her films.