Ryan Piers Williams

Governing Board | Artist, HARNESS Co-Founder

n Piers Williams is a writer, filmmaker, and artist.  He was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, and is a graduate of the film school at the University of Southern California. 

He has written and directed two narrative feature films and produced others. His first feature, The Dry Land, chronicles the life of a soldier returning home from the Iraq War with PTSD. The film stars Ryan O’Nan, America Ferrera, Melissa Leo, Wilmer Valderrama, and Jason Ritter. The Dry Land premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in the Dramatic Competition and went on to win the Best International Film award at both the Edinburgh and Dallas International Film Festivals. 

Williams’ second feature film, X/Y, explores the romantic entanglements of a group of friends in New York City. The film stars America Ferrera, Melonie Diaz, Common, David Harbour, Amber Tamblyn, and Dree Hemingway. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Both films were released theatrically and digitally. 

Along with his wife, America Ferrera, and Wilmer Valderrama, Williams is a co-founder of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, HARNESS. The organization brings together changemakers to envision and create a more just world. 

Williams recently launched a Substack, Wildly, where he examines our collective relationship to masculinity and explores ways to evolve it for the betterment of our world. In addition, Williams is a fine artist. He has exhibited his work in New York City and Los Angeles.  He is currently working on his first novel.