Tori Lane Ross (she/they) is a director and actor from Oklahoma who spent her twenties in California and gave living in London a try for the past couple of years before returning to Tulsa, OK. An alum of UC Berkeley, she has spent 15 years working across television, film, and stage, with a passion for telling bold, socially conscious stories that challenge convention.

After years working as an actor, Ross debuted as a director with Josie Needs Help (2020), an innovative theatre/film livestream hybrid exploring mental health and finding ways to heal with others.

Ross went on to direct the award-winning, 100% crowdfunded dark comedy series Trauma Bonded (2022), which was created by a majority female, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ crew, and also dealt with themes of mental health, trauma, and healing.

Their latest short, Palate Cleanser (2025), is a dystopic dark comedy that critiques the American healthcare system and corporate greed, following a desperate father forced into a sinister corporate ritual to secure medical care for his daughter. The proof-of-concept is now beginning its promising festival run while the creative team is in late development on the feature and currently seeking financing.

Ross’s work seamlessly blends humor and heightened realities to reflect complex human experiences, often highlighting trauma and marginalization. Though she has spent influential time in both Los Angeles and London, Ross is deeply engaged in Oklahoma’s growing film and TV scene more than ever, and is committed to expanding queer storytelling in spaces where it is often erased.