Crystal Us
Crystal grew up in Shelton-a small industrial city situated along the Housatonic River. Emancipated at the age of 16, Crystal supported herself through undergraduate school by waiting tables. She received a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Southern Connecticut State University before relocating to Southern California.While pursuing an acting career in LA, Crystal studied at The South Coast Repertory Theater, The Actors Workshop, and with Oscar nominee Jeannie Berlin. She has acted in various plays and has appeared in several television guest spots and commercials. She is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild. Crystal began studying filmmaking at Los Angeles City College. She made two short films - On Hold and Falling on Deaf Ears. Both films were selected at the Best of the Semester Festival held twice a year at LACC. In the fall of 2001, Crystal received the Graduate Opportunity Fellowship to attend UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television. In addition to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship, Crystal is also the recipient of The Motion Picture Association Award, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Internship Award, The Carroll Sax Award, The Edie and Lev Wasserman Film Production Fellowship, The Jim Morrison Film Award, The Kodak 35mm Project and The Technicolor Thesis Award. Crystal’s second year UCLA film An Open Door earned her lead actor, Charlie Capen, a Best Male Performance nomination at the Idaho Panhandle International Film Festival. The film itself received the award for Best Drama. Most recently, the film was awarded "Best Cinematography" at the Lake County Film Festival, Illinois. Crystal Us was awarded a Production grant at UCLA in 2006 for Strings