Anthony Russo, Joe Russo and Angela Russo-Otstot To Receive Honorary Doctorates from Cleveland Institute of Art

Internationally renowned producers, writers and directors Joe and Anthony Russo and Angela Russo-Otstot will be awarded Honorary Doctor of Art degrees by the Cleveland Institute of Art in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to film, television and their native Cleveland. The Russos have been a part of the Cleveland community for generations. This is particularly meaningful to the three Russos in that they grew up watching movies at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque and Angela was previously a professor at CIA.

CIA, a premiere college of art and design, confers honorary doctorates upon visionaries and leaders in those fields. The Russos will join a prestigious group of only 15 others who've received honorary degrees from CIA in its 138-year history, including fellow entertainment icons Brian Michael Bendis and Willem Dafoe.

"What makes all their work so extraordinary, be it Arrested Development, Community, Welcome to Collinwood, The Avengers or now Cherry, is that the impact is always character driven behind the humor, the action or the spectacle. And that is why they get such extraordinary performances from their great company of actors. We connect with the people on that screen and that puts each work over the top," says Grafton Nunes, CIA president and CEO. "Their pursuit of creative excellence epitomizes our mission at CIA and makes them eminently deserving of honorary degrees from our institution."

"I'm honored that the Cinematheque played a part in the Russos' remarkable rise and thankful that they have remained generous friends to us," says Cinematheque director John Ewing. "We share profound mutual respect, and they greatly deserve this recognition of their creativity, talent and hard work."

"Anthony, Joe and I feel a special kinship with the Cleveland Institute of Art. During my brief but impactful time spent teaching at CIA, I was constantly inspired by the students' unwavering thirst for innovation, artistic collaboration, and bravery toward disruption," says Angela Russo-Otstot, President of Creative at AGBO. "These are the guiding principles Anthony, Joe and I also try to live by as artists and they are the mission drivers at our studio AGBO. We are truly honored to be associated with this admirable institution and remarkable community of alumni."

Cherry is the wild journey of a disenfranchised young man from Ohio who meets the love of his life, only to risk losing her through a series of bad decisions and challenging life circumstances. An Apple Original Film, Cherry is now playing in select theaters and premieres globally on Apple TV+ on March 12, 2021.

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