Lisa Russell is an independent filmmaker whose background in international development and humanitarian work draws inspiration for her films about the health and well-being of our global society.

She has directed/produced/shot/edited numerous films related to HIV/AIDS, women's health, AIDS activism, etc. in the following countries: Brazil, Ghana, Niger, Malawi, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa.

Lisa often collaborates with other artists, legislators and activists to use her films to strive for social progress. In September 2005, she collaborated with Zap Mama on a 3-week initiative called "The WOMAN Tour" which blended film screenings and musical performances to advance U.S. support of global women's health.

Currently residing in Brooklyn, NY Lisa is also a teaching artist with Urban Word NYC (www.urbanwordnyc.org), an after-school arts collective providing creative writing and spoken word poetry workshops to inner city youth, ages 13-19. She mentors REELS and RHYMES which blends film screenings and poetry to address social ills affecting today's youth and "MY RIGHTS IN MY WORDS" which was a film a poetry workshop focused on immigrant youth.

She is currently in development of a new project called MYTH OF THE MOTHERLAND to be shot in early 2008 that profiles a group of young spoken word artists on a creative writing journey to 12 African nations to address stereotypes of Africa and Africans. Please visit www.mythofthemotherland.com for more information.