Russ Emanuel is an American filmmaker, producer, and founder of Russem Productions whose work spans narrative features, short films, web series, and documentaries. A graduate of the University of Southern California with studies in cinema, international relations, and Japanese, he has directed films including The Legends of Nethiah, Occupants (later released as Alterverse), and the documentary Restoration of Paradise. His science-fiction thriller Occupants earned the Best Sci-Fi Feature award at Shriekfest and screened at the San Diego Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival.