Suzi Yoonessi was born in Buffalo, New York, where she attended Nichols School.
Yoonessi was a member of Buffalo's first all-female band Bertha Mason during the Riot Grrrl movement in the early 90s.
Upon graduation, she worked for Surface Magazine in the editorial department and moved to New York to pursue filmmaking after being awarded a Jerome Foundation grant for her documentary film Vern.
Yoonessi received her MFA from Columbia University School of the Arts[7] where she was the recipient of the FMI Directing Fellowship.
[12] In October 2019, it was announced that Yoonessi is developing an original film with Walt Disney Animation Studios.