Gregori Viens, a dual citizen of France and the United States, was born in Los Angeles but spent his formative years in Paris, where he studied sociology at the Université de Paris.
After returning to California, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA),followed by a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film from Syracuse University.
At the age of 24, Viens made his debut feature-length documentary, "Island of Roses, The Jews of Rhodes", in Los Angeles.
As an educator, he taught undergraduate and graduate film classes at various institutions, including the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Occidental College, and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
His 2009 feature comedy, "Punching the Clown", co-written with Henry Phillips, garnered the Audience Award at the Slamdance Film Festival and received widespread critical acclaim.
Five years later, his follow-up comedy, "Punching Henry", premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival and was awarded the Story Award by the International Screenwriters Association at the Chicago Comedy Film Festival.
Throughout his life, Viens has resided in various countries, including France, the United States, Latin America (Nicaragua and Chile),and Eastern Africa (Djibouti).
