Ryan De Franco

Ryan De Franco is a cinematographer whose work often centers stories of community and uncertainty. His camerawork has screened at Sundance, Venice, Cannes Cinéfondation, Tribeca, and MoMA PS1. A child of 7 hometowns, he is most at home in unfamiliar landscapes, helping storytellers weave narratives with curiosity and a collaborative eye.

Feature-length releases include Independent Spirit Award-nominee This is Not a War Story (dir. Talia Lugacy, distributed by Warner150 on Max); Weak Layers (dir. Katie Burrell, released by Greenwich Entertainment Jan 5 2024 in 150 theaters); Vas Y Coupe! (dir. Laura Naylor, First Run Features); and Horses: Patti Smith & Her Band (dir. Steven Sebring, Apple TV+).

In 2024, he lensed Wish You Were Here, the debut feature from director Julia Stiles.

Short films include Troy, a darkly comic tale of unasked-for intimacy (Sundance ‘23, Kino Film Panavision Cinematography Award, Vimeo Staff Pick “Best of The Year”); Isole Ciclopi, in which a Sicilian grandmother talks to 5,000 year old rocks (Aspen Shortsfest ‘21, Whistler Film Festival International Shortwork Jury Award); Cattledog, a quiet COVID Western (Austin Film Festival ‘21), A Very Fragile Thing, an Ethiopian-American civil war film (NBFF ‘22), and Jihan, a story of war and waiting on the Kurdish/ISIS front.