Ryan Little

Ryan Little (born 28 March 1971) is a Canadian film director, cinematographer and producer. He is perhaps best known for his 2003 film Saints and Soldiers. His work has a broad range of genres including war films and children's subjects. Little was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and graduated from Brigham Young University in 1999. He has produced six films, directed eleven and written one.

Ryan Little
Born (1971-03-28) 28 March 1971
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
OccupationFilm director, producer, cinematographer
Years active1999–present
Spouse(s)Lynnita Little
Children2

Early life

Born in Vancouver, Little always had an aspiration for making film. Growing up, his father made 8 mm films and was always eager to show them off to him. With this, a passion for film began and Little knew that when he grew up he wanted to make films.[1]

It took Little three tries to get into Brigham Young University and two more applications for an acceptance into the film program. Little is a Mormon. While at BYU, he made over twenty short films.[1]

Professional career

The idea for his first professional film Saints and Soldiers was inspired by his religion professor at Brigham Young, Dennis A. Wright. Wright was the coauthor of a book Saints at War, and he shared some stories with Little that he wished could have been in the book but had to be left out. Little was able to contact the veterans that Wright told him about and with their help, he wrote the story of Saints and Soldiers.[1] The film, which takes place during World War II, is about three soldiers who escape during the Malmedy massacre.[2]

One key element found in most of Little's work is the portraying of religious people as not completely perfect and secular people as not completely evil. For example, in Saints and Soldiers some German characters were depicted as good people even though they were Nazis.[2]

Some of Little's other work includes the ABC Family Channel original comedy Everything You Want, Forever Strong (a film about the Highland Rugby Team), Age of the Dragons, and the TNT pilot Blank Slate.[3]

Little's Saints and Soldiers was filmed around the Sundance ski resort. It was entered into seventeen film festivals and won several awards.[1]

Little is one of three executive producers of the BYUtv production extinct along with Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston. He is also the director of photography.

Personal life

Little is married to Lynnita Little and has two sons.[1]

Awards and nominations
YearFilmAwardResultCategory
1999The Last Good WarAcademy of Television Arts & Sciences FoundationWonBest Student Dramatic Film
Heartland Film FestivalWonJimmy Stewart Crystal Heart Memorial Award
2003Saints and SoldiersHeartland Film FestivalWonCrystal Heart Award (shared with Adam Abel)
Temecula Valley International Film FestivalWonViewer's Choice Award for Best Feature Film
Big Bear Lake International Film FestivalWonAudience Award for Best Feature Film
2005Independent Spirit AwardNominatedBest Cinematography
NominatedBest First Feature (shared with Adam Abel)
2006Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch CassidyHeartland Film FestivalWonCrystal Heart Award for independent filmmakers
2015War PigsGI Film FestivalWonBest Action Feature (shared with producers Steven Luke and Andre Relis)

Filmography

Directing

Producing

Cinematography

References
  1. Aldrich, Emily Hanks (Summer 2007). "Nothing Little About Filmmaker's Ambitions". BYU Magazine. Brigham Young University. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  2. "Ryan Little." Famous Mormons RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
  3. Eash, Candy (February 2014). "Ryan Little interview". Mormon Artist. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
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