bio

Karisa Bruin is a filmmaker, actress and writer who came up through the Chicago comedy scene and is thoroughly midwestern. Her short film, Labor Relations, premiered at the high-profile comedy festival Just for Laughs in Montreal. Her inspired-by-real-life pilot script, Mile Markers, was awarded best comedy pilot at the Premiere Film Festival. Karisa’s first film as writer-director, UberEx, a non-romantic comedy, premiered in competition at Dances With Films in 2018. Karisa also directed the award-winning short Kill Cat Oakland, a dark comedy featuring Mindy Cohn (The Facts of Life). 

An improv specialist, Karisa has performed improv at the iO, UCBNY, Magnet and Second City Hollywood Theaters. Her skills an improvisor allow her to be flexible and creative on set, finding opportunities for humor inspired by what's on the page. She is also a mom which has made her more efficient and able to maintain her equanimity in chaos - as useful on the homefront as it is on set or in the rehearsal room. 

Karisa is a founding member of Lickety-Split Improv, a comedy group focused on bringing laughter and improvisation classes to rural Colorado.