Tanner Films

Teen director Michael Tanner Cusumano began studying the art of filmmaking when he was only 12, taking courses in the New York Film Academy’s advanced filmmaking program during his summer breaks. Over three consecutive years, Michael Tanner Cusumano completed the short films "Missing," "Sage," and "Amanda." "Sage," a thriller that follows three teenage friends aboard an ancient ocean liner, won Best Film Noir at the Burbank International Film Festival; it also showed at the Red Rock Film Festival.

In his third film, "Amanda," Michael Tanner Cusumano chose to address the issue of underage drinking and driving, rendering with heartfelt detail the anguish of a high school student whose decision to drink and drive results in the death of two friends. "Amanda" was an Official Selection at 19 local and international film festivals, winning Best Crime Film, Best Youth Film, and other prestigious awards. Internationally, the Amsterdam Film Festival honored "Amanda" with a Van Gogh Award for excellence in a student work, and the Canada International Film Festival named Michael Tanner Cusumano a Rising Star in the filmmaking industry.

Production is underway for "Impetuous," Michael Tanner Cusumano’s latest film, about the effects of bullying and peer pressure, with an expected completion date of summer 2011. Michael Tanner Cusumano currently serves as the owner of Tanner Films, a production company he founded as a vehicle to direct and produce his films. In addition to his duties as a business owner and filmmaker, Cusumano is a high school student; he is poised to enter his junior year at Sierra Canyon School, a private high school in the Los Angeles area, this fall. In the meantime, Cusumano takes summer classes at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.