CJ Russo is an award winning filmmaker and founder of Paceline Pictures, a production company committed to creating premium content that amplifies the voices of women, the LGBTQ+ community and people of color by building equity and inclusion through storytelling.
CJ Russo’s 2021 feature documentary film, Lady Buds, is currently airing on STARZ, Amazon Prime and AppleTV+, and is 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Winner Audience Award Best of Fest - 2022 San Luis Obispo Film Festival
Winner Audience Award Best Documentary - 2021 Mill Valley Film Festival
Runner-Up Audience Award Best Documentary - 2021 Outfest
Nomination Best Documentary Feature - 2021 Women Film Critics Circle
“An inspirational portrait of sisters doing it for themselves in a no-longer-covert niche of capitalism... engaging and well crafted...” — Dennis Harvey, Variety
“Director Chris J. Russo’s debut film is an upbeat doc that introduces five women who have been sticking it to the man for years.” —Madeline Lines, POV Magazine
“Ambitious in scope. Russo develops a real sense of place and community.” — Inkoo Kang, Hollywood Reporter
Lady Buds tells the story of six courageous women who come out of the shadows of the cannabis underground to forge a path to legalization in California. Up against burdensome regulations favoring well-funded corporations, these brave farmers, entrepreneurs and activists must fight for their piece of the American Dream in the very market they helped create.