ANTHONY and JOE RUSSO (Writer/Directors) were born one year apart in a working class, Italian neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio. The brothers grew up sons of a populist politician during the 1970's - a tumultuous political era that saw Cleveland become the only major American city to go bankrupt since the Great Depression. Welcome to Collinwood was influenced by the colorful ethnic rivalry and decaying industrial landscape that defined their hometown during their youth.
Just prior to beginning film school, Anthony and Joe wrote, directed, produced, and Joe performed in Pieces. In 1997, the film screened at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and played at the American Film Institute Film Festival in Los Angeles where Joe received the Best Actor Award from the American Film Institute.
Steven Soderbergh saw Pieces while attending the Slamdance Film Festival (he was there with his own film Schizopolis) - he called the brothers a week later and offered to produce their next project. After Soderbergh partnered with George Clooney to form their production company, Section Eight, Welcome to Collinwood became the first film produced by the company.
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