Kenny Riches

Born in Toyota City, Japan, Kenny Riches grew up in Salt Lake City. He went to college to study art, and has exhibited his work in galleries nationwide. Riches premiered his first feature film, "Must Come Down," in 2012. The film tells the story of a man and a woman in their early twenties, each in search of direction, who find each other. Produced by Riches' longtime friend Patrick Fugit (lead actor in "Almost Famous" (2004)) and starring another longtime friend, David Fetzer, the film was an easily paced story, told by friends. The film played at a number of festivals around the US, but never received a theatrical release. After directing two short films written by Fetzer (who passed away in late 2012), Riches wrote and directed "The Strongest Man" (2015), set in his new hometown of Miami, Florida. The city is a big part of the film's tone, including two of the lead characters, non-actors who personify Riches' version of modern-day Miami. The film premiered in the NEXT section of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival to a favorable response. In March of that year, the film was acquired by FilmBuff for a joint theatrical and digital release slated for June of 2015.