SAVERIO

Ellen Ancui
Director/Writer

Ellen is a middlescent, neuro-diverse, bi writer for TV, film, theater and podcasts and more recently, an award-winning film director and producer with her short, SAVERIO (winner: Audience Award for Best Short, Phoenix Film Festival & Mirada Corta Shortsfest, Mexico City). Her special sauce, “traumadies,” is a mix of Catskills schtick blended with a feminist edge, featuring strong female protagonists who dig their own graves, then resist climbing out until the dirt is shoveled into their faces. Raised on Long Island, Ellen’s Sicilian mom converted for her Jewish dad, but would sneak ham sandwiches in the garage, so it’s no wonder Ellen loves storytelling and food. She was a private chef in NYC for Oscar-winning writer Horton Foote, while running her theater, SOLO ARTS GROUP, where she gave the original Upright Citizens Brigade (Amy Poehler, Matt Walsh, Matt Besser & Ian Roberts) their first home. Ellen moved to LA after the success of her 2, one-woman shows, ZEL REBELS! (Public Fringe) and JUMPING OFF THE FRIDGE (HBO Workspace). She was a staffed on the sitcom, MALCOLM & EDDIE (Sony) and her play GLORY PIE received rave reviews from Variety. Other professional credits: BROWN & FRIENDS (Netflix), BONNIE SCREWS UP (podcast), SIZZLER (Next Stage Press), and THE STORY OF DAVID (Braid Theater, LA.) Her directorial debut for her short film, SAVERIO, is being developed into a feature and actively looking for investors. Look out for Ellen’s new podcast, FILTHY MILFS, about sex for women of a certain age, on Spotify.