Ronna Gradus is an American documentary filmmaker and director. She is best known for her documentary films, which have explored topics such as teenage prostitution, teen pregnancy, and the sex industry.
Gradus was born in New York City and raised in Westchester County, where she attended Horace Greeley High School. She then attended Emerson College in Boston, where she received a BA in film production. She went on to get an MFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.
Gradus began her career as a film editor, working on projects such as the 2003 film The Station Agent, the 2007 documentary War/Dance, and the 2010 film Restrepo. In 2009, she co-directed Sexy Baby, a documentary examining the effects of technology and porn on young women's sexual development. The film was featured at the Tribeca Film Festival, and won numerous awards.
In 2013, Gradus directed and produced the documentary Hot Girls Wanted, which she co-directed with Jill Bauer. The film follows the lives of five teenage girls who have been recruited into the amateur porn industry. It was featured at the Sundance Film Festival, and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.
Gradus has also directed and produced documentaries for Vice, including "American Juggalo" and "The Last American Vagabond". In 2016, she directed and produced the documentary film, "The Bad Kids", which followed the lives of at-risk teenagers in an alternative school in California. The film was well-received by critics and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Gradus is currently working on a new documentary called "This is Home", which follows four Syrian refugee families who have settled in Baltimore, Maryland. The film is set to be released in 2019.
Gradus has been praised for her ability to tell stories that explore complex social issues. Her films have been nominated for numerous awards, including an Academy Award and an Emmy Award. She is an active member of the Directors Guild of America, and is a board member of the International Documentary Association.
