Janet Grillo is an Emmy Award-winning film producer, a former film studio executive, and an award-winning filmmaker. She joined our team in 2007 with responsibilities for preparing psychological assessment reports.

Janet executive produced the documentary feature AUTISM: THE MUSICAL, which premiered to high acclaim at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and aired on HBO in 2008. It was nominated for five Emmy Awards, winning two: Best Non-Fiction Feature and Best Editing of a Non-Fiction Feature.

A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Wesleyan University in Connecticut, and an MFA recipient of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Janet worked as Assistant Literary Manager for Circle Repertory Company in the early 1980’s, where she was also a member of its Playwright’s Workshop Lab. At that time, she began her association with New Line Cinema in 1984 as its first “in house” Story Analyst. She was soon hired to establish the Story Department and became New Line's first Story Editor. After a few years, she identified the need for a separate Acquisitions Division and designed that department, becoming New Line’s first Director of Acquisitions.

After traveling to international film festivals, including Berlin, Cannes, Toronto and Sundance, pursuing North American rights to feature films, she returned to production in 1989. Her first project was the discovery of filmmaker Reggie Hudlin, and the development of his feature debut HOUSE PARTY. The film received the coveted Audience Award at Sundance in 1990, and went on to become a cult classic, grossing $25 million in North American theatrical revenues on a budget of $1.5 million. Janet then executive produced its two financially successful sequels. She worked at New Line Cinema for ten years, rising through the ranks to become the Senior Vice President of Production, East Coast. During this time she established an outstanding track record launching the careers of emerging filmmakers.

While at New Line, Janet developed and executive produced Joseph B. Vasquez’s acclaimed feature HANGIN’ WITH THE HOMEBOYS, starring John Leguizamo and Doug E. Doug. It received the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance in 1991. She developed and associate -roduced PUMP UP THE VOLUME in 1992. In 1994, Janet developed and co-executive produced Ted Demme’s directorial debut WHO’S THE MAN. The same year, she developed and executive produced David O. Russell’s acclaimed feature debut, SPANKING THE MONKEY, which in 1995 won the Sundance Audience Award and launched his prestigious career. Subsequently, she participated in the development and editing of Russell's films FLIRTING WITH DISASTER, THREE KINGS, and I HEART HUCKABEES.

In 1994, Janet left New Line to pursue her own producing ventures. Since then, she executive produced the critically acclaimed independent feature, JOE THE KING, which won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. It was released by TriMark in October of that year. Along with Ruth Charny (GRACE OF MY HEART and SEARCH AND DESTROY), Janet produced SEARCHING FOR PARADISE, which was developed at the Writing and Directing Lab at Sundance. It was distributed on the Sundance Channel in 2002.

Over the past few years, Janet wrote and directed two short films, which toured film festivals here and abroad. She received the Silver Lei Award for Filmmaking Excellence from the Honolulu Film Festival, and the Best Dramatic Short Award from the First Glance Film Festival L.A. in 2009. Janet is currently in pre-production for the first feature she will direct, which she also wrote. It will be executive produced by acclaimed filmmaker, Catherine Hardwicke (TWILIGHT).

Janet was a Board Member of Cure Autism Now, which merged with Autism Speaks. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her son Matt, who is on the Autism Spectrum.