View source for Gus Van Sant

{{Short description|American filmmaker (born 1952)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Family name hatnote|[[Van Sant (surname)|Van Sant]]|Sant|lang=Dutch}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Gus Van Sant
| image              = Gus Van Sant at 82nd Venice International Film Festival-2 (cropped).jpg
| imagesize          = 
| caption            = Van Sant in 2025
| birth_name         = Gus Green Van Sant Jr.
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1952|7|24}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2022/07/24/Famous-birthdays-for-July-24-Elisabeth-Moss-Anna-Paquin/5841658632194/ | title=Famous birthdays for July 24: Elisabeth Moss, Anna Paquin }}</ref>
| death_date         = 
| birth_place        = [[Louisville, Kentucky]], U.S.
| education          = [[Rhode Island School of Design]]
| occupation         = {{flatlist|
* Film director
* film producer
* screenwriter
* film editor
* photographer
* painter
* musician
}}
| years_active       = 1982–present
}}

'''Gus Green Van Sant Jr.'''<ref name="filmr"/> (born July 24, 1952) is an American filmmaker, photographer, painter, and musician. He has earned acclaim as an [[independent film|independent]] filmmaker, and is considered to be one of the most prominent [[auteur]]s of the [[new queer cinema]] movement. His films typically deal with themes of marginalized [[subculture]]s, especially within [[gay culture]].

His early career was devoted to directing television commercials in the [[Pacific Northwest]]. He made his feature-length directorial debut film ''[[Mala Noche]]'' (1985). He earned acclaim for a string of independent films such as the crime drama ''[[Drugstore Cowboy]]'' (1989), the adventure film ''[[My Own Private Idaho]]'' (1991), and the [[black comedy]] ''[[To Die For]]'' (1995). He earned [[Academy Award for Best Director]] nominations for the drama ''[[Good Will Hunting]]'' (1997), and the biographical film ''[[Milk (2008 American film)|Milk]]'' (2008), both of which also received [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] nominations. 

Van Sant directed the [[psychological drama]] ''[[Elephant (2003 film)|Elephant]]'' (2003), a film based on the [[Columbine High School massacre]], for which he won the [[Palme d'Or]] and [[Best Director Award (Cannes Film Festival)|Best Director Award]] at the [[2003 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes Film Festival]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmziMiTcVek The Indie Filmmaking Genius of Gus Van Sant | The VICE Guide To Film - VICE on YouTube]</ref> 
Van Sant's creative output has since been mixed. He received positive reviews for ''[[Finding Forrester]]'' (2000), ''[[Paranoid Park (film)|Paranoid Park]]'' (2007), and ''[[Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot]]'' (2018) while receiving negative receptions for his films ''[[Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (film)|Even Cowgirls Get the Blues]]'' (1993), ''[[Psycho (1998 film)|Psycho]]'' (1998), and ''[[The Sea of Trees]]'' (2015). His films ''[[Last Days (2005 film)|Last Days]]'' (2005) and ''[[Promised Land (2012 film)|Promised Land]]'' (2012) received mixed reviews.

Also known for his work on television, he has directed and executive produced the [[political drama]] series ''[[Boss (TV series)|Boss]]'' (2011), the [[docudrama]] miniseries ''[[When We Rise]]'' (2018), and the [[anthology series]] ''[[Feud: Capote vs. The Swans]]'' (2024). Van Sant has written screenplays for several of his earlier works, and has also published the novel, [[Pink (Van Sant Novel)|''Pink'']],<ref>Gus Van Sant, ''Pink'', Faber & Faber, 1998, {{ISBN|0-385-49353-3}}</ref> and a book of his photography, ''108 Portraits'',<ref>Gus Van Sant, ''108 Portraits'', Twin Palms Pub., 1993, {{ISBN|0-944092-22-5}}</ref> He has also released two musical albums.

== Early life and education ==
Van Sant was born and raised in [[Louisville, Kentucky]], the son of Betty (née Seay) and Gus Green Van Sant Sr., a clothing manufacturer and traveling salesman<ref name="filmr">{{cite web |title=Gus Van Sant Biography |url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/20/Gus-Van-Sant.html |work=film reference |publisher=Advameg, Inc |access-date=August 15, 2012 |author=film reference |year=2012}}</ref> who rapidly worked his way into middle class prosperity, holding executive marketing positions that included being president of the [[White Stag (clothing)|White Stag Manufacturing Company]]'s apparel operation.<ref name=changes-white-stag>{{cite news |title=Changes in Management Disclosed by White Stag |newspaper=[[The Oregonian]]|date=December 5, 1969 |location=Portland, Oregon |at=Section 1, p. 39}}</ref> As a result of his father's job, the family moved continually during his childhood. 

Van Sant's paternal family is of partial Dutch origin; the name "Van Sant" is derived from the Dutch name "[[van (Dutch)|''Van Zandt'']]". The earliest Van Zandt arrived in the [[New Netherland]] area in the early 17th century, around what is now [[New York City]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/history-and-heritage/dutch_americans/gus-green-van-sant-jr/|title = Gus Green van Sant, Jr}}</ref>

Gus Van Sant is an alumnus of [[Darien High School]] in [[Darien, Connecticut]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Darien High School|url=http://www.publicschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/15519|work=Public School Review|access-date=September 24, 2012|year=2003–2012}}</ref> and [[The Catlin Gabel School]] in [[Portland, Oregon]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Gus Van Sant- Biography|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/person/gus-van-sant/biography.html|work=Yahoo! Movies|publisher=Yahoo!, Inc|access-date=September 24, 2012|year=2012}}</ref> One constant in the director's early years was his interest in visual arts (namely, painting and [[Super-8]] filmmaking); while still in school he began making semi-autobiographical shorts costing between 30 and 50 dollars. Van Sant's artistic leanings took him to the [[Rhode Island School of Design]] in 1970, where his introduction to various avant-garde directors inspired him to change his major from painting to cinema.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Marx|first1=Rebecca Flint|title=Gus van Sant Biography|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/1548269/Gus-van-Sant/biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724213558/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/1548269/Gus-van-Sant/biography|url-status=dead|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2015|archive-date=July 24, 2015}}</ref>

==Career==
===1982–1989: Early career===
{{BLP sources section|date=December 2024}}
After spending time in Europe, Van Sant went to [[Los Angeles]] in 1976.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/1548269/Gus-van-Sant/biography | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201121941/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/1548269/Gus-van-Sant/biography | url-status=dead | archive-date=December 1, 2008 | department=Movies & TV Dept. | work=[[The New York Times]] | author=Rebecca Flint Marx | title=Gus van Sant}}</ref> He secured a job as a production assistant to filmmaker [[Ken Shapiro]], with whom he developed a few ideas, none of which came to fruition. In 1981, Van Sant made ''Alice in Hollywood'', a film about a naïve young actress who goes to Hollywood and abandons her ideals. It was never released. During this period, Van Sant began to spend time observing the denizens of the more down-and-out sections of [[Hollywood Boulevard]]. He became fascinated by the existence of this marginalized section of L.A.'s population, especially in context with the more ordinary, prosperous world that surrounded them. Van Sant would repeatedly focus his work on those existing on society's fringes, making his feature film [[directorial debut]] ''[[Mala Noche]]''.

It was made two years after Van Sant went to New York to work in an advertising agency. He saved $20,000 during his tenure there, enabling him to finance the majority of his tale of doomed love between a gay liquor store clerk and a Mexican immigrant. The film, which was taken from Portland street writer [[Walt Curtis]]' semi-autobiographical novella, featured some of the director's hallmarks, notably an unfulfilled romanticism, a dry sense of the absurd, and the refusal to treat homosexuality as something deserving of judgment. Unlike many gay filmmakers, Van Sant—who had long been openly gay—declined to use same-sex relationships as fodder for overtly political statements, although such relationships would frequently appear in his films.

Shot in black-and-white, the film earned Van Sant almost overnight acclaim on the festival circuit, with the ''Los Angeles Times'' naming it the year's best [[independent film]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biography.com/people/gus-van-sant-411096 |title=Gus Van Sant : Biography |publisher=Biography.com |access-date=August 4, 2014}}</ref> The film's success attracted Hollywood interest, and Van Sant was briefly courted by [[Universal Pictures|Universal]]; the courtship ended after Van Sant pitched a series of project ideas (including what would become ''[[Drugstore Cowboy]]'' and ''[[My Own Private Idaho]]'') that the studio declined to take interest in.

Van Sant returned to Portland, Oregon, where he set up house and began giving life to the ideas rejected by Universal. He directed ''Drugstore Cowboy'' about four drug addicts robbing pharmacies to support their habit. The film met with great critical success and revived the career of [[Matt Dillon]].

===1990–1995: Indie and arthouse success===
''Drugstore Cowboy'''s exploration of the lives of those living on society's outer fringes, as well as its Portland setting, were mirrored in Van Sant's next effort, the similarly acclaimed ''[[My Own Private Idaho]]'' (1991). Only with the success of ''Cowboy'' was Van Sant now given license to make ''Idaho'' (a film he had originally pitched that was knocked back several times because the studios deemed the script 'too risky'). [[New Line Cinema]] now gave Van Sant the green light, and he went on a mission to get the ''Idaho'' script into the hands of [[River Phoenix]] and [[Keanu Reeves]], his preferred choice for the two young leads. After months of struggle with agents and managers over the content of the script, Van Sant finally secured Phoenix and Reeves, who played the roles of Mike Waters and Scott Favor, respectively.

Centering on the dealings of two male hustlers (played by Phoenix and Reeves), the film was a compelling examination of unrequited love, alienation and the concept of family (a concept Van Sant repeatedly explores in his films). The film won him an [[Independent Spirit Award]] for his screenplay (he had won the same award for his ''[[Drugstore Cowboy]]'' screenplay), as well as greater prestige. The film gained River Phoenix best actor honors at the [[Venice Film Festival]] among others. It helped Reeves—previously best known for his work in the ''[[Bill and Ted]]'' movies—to get the critical respect that had eluded him.

Van Sant's next film, a 1993 [[Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (film)|adaptation]] of [[Tom Robbins]]' ''[[Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (novel)|Even Cowgirls Get the Blues]]'', was an excessive flop, both commercially and critically. Featuring an unusually large budget (for Van Sant, at least) of $8.5&nbsp;million and a large, eclectic cast including [[Uma Thurman]], [[John Hurt]], Keanu Reeves and a newcomer in the form of River Phoenix's younger sister [[Rain Phoenix|Rain]] (at Phoenix's suggestion), the film was worked and then reworked, but the finished product nonetheless resulted in something approaching a significant disaster.

Van Sant's 1995 film ''[[To Die For]]'' helped to restore his luster. An adaptation of [[Joyce Maynard]]'s novel, the [[black comedy]] starred [[Nicole Kidman]] as a murderously ambitious weather girl; it also stars [[Matt Dillon]] as her hapless husband and, the third Phoenix sibling in as many projects, [[Joaquin Phoenix]], as her equally hapless lover (River had died of a drug overdose a year and half earlier). It was Van Sant's first effort for a major studio ([[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]]), and its success paved the way for further projects of the director's choosing. The same year, he served as executive producer for [[Larry Clark]]'s ''[[Kids (film)|Kids]]''; it was a fitting assignment, due to both the film's subject matter and the fact that Clark's photographs of junkies had served as reference points for Van Sant's ''Drugstore Cowboy''.

===1997–2003: Mainstream breakout===
In 1997, Van Sant gained mainstream recognition and critical acclaim thanks to ''[[Good Will Hunting]]'', which was written by [[Matt Damon]] and [[Ben Affleck]]. The film, about a troubled, blue-collar mathematical genius, was a huge critical and commercial success. It was nominated for nine [[Academy Award]]s, including Best Director for Van Sant. It won two, including Best Screenplay for Damon and Affleck, and Best Supporting Actor Oscar for [[Robin Williams]], who, in his acceptance speech, referred to Van Sant as "being so subtle you're almost subliminal."<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/q6Egi5V_jNU Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20100302192808/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Egi5V_jNU Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web|date=January 4, 2010|title=Robin Williams Wins Supporting Actor: Oscars 1998|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Egi5V_jNU|access-date=July 1, 2020|website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Van Sant, Damon and Affleck parodied themselves and the film's success in [[Kevin Smith]]'s'' [[Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back]].''<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/nnESedN4vSI Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20130227074314/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnESedN4vSI&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web|title=Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (9/12) Movie CLIP - Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season (2001) HD|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnESedN4vSI|website=YouTube| date=October 2011 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Van Sant received the opportunity to [[Psycho (1998 film)|remake]] [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s classic ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]''. As opposed to reinterpreting the 1960 film, Van Sant opted to recreate the film shot-for-shot, in color, with a cast of young Hollywood A-listers. His decision was met with equal parts curiosity, skepticism, and derision from industry insiders and outsiders alike, and the finished result met with a similar reception. It starred [[Anne Heche]], [[Vince Vaughn]] and [[Julianne Moore]], and met with a negative critical reception and did [[Box-office bomb|poorly at the box office]].

In 2000, Van Sant directed ''[[Finding Forrester]]'', about a high-school student ([[Rob Brown (actor)|Rob Brown]]) from [[the Bronx]] unlikely becoming a friend of a crusty, reclusive author ([[Sean Connery]]). Critical response was generally positive<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/finding_forrester/|title=Finding Forrester|date=December 19, 2000 |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=December 6, 2010}}</ref> and became a box office success. In addition to directing, he devoted considerable energy to releasing two albums and publishing a novel, ''[[Pink (Van Sant novel)|Pink]]'', which was a thinly veiled exploration of his grief over River Phoenix's death.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}}

===2003–present: Return to arthouse cinema===
[[File:Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot - Press Conference.jpg|thumb|Van Sant and [[Joaquin Phoenix]] at the press conference of ''[[Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot]]'' (Berlin Film Festival 2018)|left]]
Van Sant traveled to the deserts of [[Argentina]], [[Utah]], and [[Death Valley]] for the production of 2002's ''[[Gerry (2002 film)|Gerry]]'', a loosely devised, largely improvised feature in which stars Matt Damon and [[Casey Affleck]]—both playing characters named Gerry—wander through the desert, discussing ''[[Wheel of Fortune (US game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]'', video games, and nothing in particular. The film premiered at the [[Sundance Film Festival]].

It took ''Gerry'' over a year to make it to theaters, in which time Van Sant began production on his next film, ''[[Elephant (2003 film)|Elephant]]''. Approached by [[HBO]] and producer [[Diane Keaton]] to craft a fictional film based on the 1999 [[Columbine High School massacre]], the director chose to shoot in his hometown of Portland, employing dozens of untrained, teen actors. Melding improvisational long takes like those in ''Gerry'' with [[Harris Savides]]' fluid camerawork, the film was influenced by Alan Clarke's 1989 film of the same name (see ''[[Elephant (1989 film)|Elephant]]''). The finished film provoked strong reactions from audiences at the [[2003 Cannes Film Festival]]. At the [[Cannes]] festival, the jury awarded ''Elephant'' with their top prize, the [[Palme d'Or]], and Van Sant with his first Best Director statue from the festival.<ref name="cannes-2003.com" />

{{Anchor|Death Trilogy}}In 2005, Van Sant released ''[[Last Days (2005 film)|Last Days]]'', the final component of what he refers to as his "Death Trilogy", (the other parts being ''Gerry'' and ''Elephant''). It is a fictionalized account of what happened to [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] frontman [[Kurt Cobain]] in the days leading up to his death. In 2006, Van Sant began work on ''[[Paranoid Park (film)|Paranoid Park]]'' based on the book by [[Blake Nelson]], about a skateboarding teenager who accidentally causes someone's death. The film was released in Europe in February 2008. He also directed the "Le Marais" segment of the omnibus film ''[[Paris, je t'aime]]''.

Released in 2008, Van Sant's ''[[Milk (2008 American film)|Milk]]'' is a biopic of [[openly gay]] San Francisco politician [[Harvey Milk]], who was assassinated in 1978. The film received eight [[Academy Award|Oscar]] nominations at the [[81st Academy Awards]], including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], winning two for [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor in a Leading Role]] for [[Sean Penn]], who starred as Milk, and [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]] for writer [[Dustin Lance Black]]. Van Sant was nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Milk Picks Up Two Big Oscars as Slumdog Dominates Academy Awards |url=http://www.towleroad.com/2009/02/slumdog-millionaire-took-the-best-picture-last-night-at-the-academy-awards-along-with-7-other-trophies-but-it-was-the-s.html |work=Towleroad |access-date=August 15, 2012 |author=Andy Towle |date=February 23, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title="Milk" gets EIGHT Academy Award nominations.... |url=http://www.insidesocal.com/outinhollywood/2009/01/milk-gets-eight-academy-award.html |access-date=August 15, 2012 |newspaper=Out in Hollywood with Greg Hernandez |date=January 22, 2009 |author=Greg Hernandez |agency=Los Angeles Newspaper group |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305215853/http://www.insidesocal.com/outinhollywood/2009/01/milk-gets-eight-academy-award.html |archive-date=March 5, 2012 }}</ref> Van Sant later stated that his experience with Sean Penn on the film was "amazing".<ref>{{cite web |title=MADONNA |url=http://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/madonna/#_ |work=interviewmagazine.com |publisher=Interview, Inc |access-date=August 15, 2012 |author=Gus Van Sant |year=2010}}</ref> His 2011 film ''[[Restless (2011 film)|Restless]]''<ref name="thr41311">{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gus-van-sants-restless-open-177800 |title=Gus Van Sant's 'Restless' to Open Cannes Un Certain Regard |date=April 13, 2011 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |first=Rebecca |last=Leffler |access-date=April 13, 2011}}</ref> was screened in the [[Un Certain Regard]] section at the [[2011 Cannes Film Festival]], and starred Henry Hopper and [[Mia Wasikowska]].<ref name="Cannes2011">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/article/58041.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Official Selection |access-date=April 14, 2011 |work=Cannes |archive-date=May 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515065818/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/article/58041.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="dl120201">{{cite news |url=https://deadline.com/2012/02/focus-participant-acquire-matt-damonjohn-krasinski-film-gus-van-sant-directing-224414/ |title=Focus, Participant Acquire Matt Damon/John Krasinski Film; Gus Van Sant Directing |first=Mike |last=Fleming |date=February 1, 2012 |work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>

Van Sant's film, ''[[Promised Land (2012 film)|Promised Land]]'', was released on December 28, 2012.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Gerhardt|first=Tina|date=December 31, 2012|title=Matt Damon Exposes Fracking in Promised Land|url=http://www.progressive.org/matt-damon-exposes-fracking-in-promised-land|work=[[The Progressive]]}}</ref> The film stars [[Frances McDormand]], Matt Damon, and John Krasinski—the latter two co-wrote the screenplay based on a story by Dave Eggers. Filmed in April 2012, the production company, Focus Features, selected the release date so that the film is eligible to qualify for awards consideration.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gus Van Sant's Promised Land, Starring Matt Damon, Gets A Release Date|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Gus-Van-Sant-Promised-Land-Starring-Matt-Damon-Gets-Release-Date-32623.html|work=Cinema Blend|publisher=Cinema Blend LLC|access-date=December 19, 2012|author=Eric Eisenberg|date=August 23, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Gus Van Sant's PROMISED LAND Gets into Awards Race; Release Dates Announced for DreamWorks Animation Pictures|url=https://collider.com/promised-land-release-date-dreamworks-animation/|work=Collider.com|publisher=IndieClick Film Network|access-date=December 19, 2012|author=Matt Goldberg|date=August 23, 2012|archive-date=December 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121205010352/http://collider.com/promised-land-release-date-dreamworks-animation/190984|url-status=live}}</ref> After ''Promised Land'', Van Sant directed a film titled ''[[Sea of Trees (film)|Sea of Trees]]'', which starred [[Matthew McConaughey]] and [[Ken Watanabe]]. The film tells the story of a man who travels to the infamous [[Aokigahara]] suicide forest in Japan to kill himself, only to encounter another man wishing to kill himself as well, with whom he then embarks on a "spiritual journey".<ref>{{cite news|last=Kit|first=Boris|title=Matthew McConaughey to Star in Gus Van Sant's 'Sea of Trees'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/matthew-mcconaughey-star-gus-van-677201|work=The Hollywood Reporter|publisher=TheHollywoodReporter.com|access-date=March 18, 2014}}</ref> The film was selected to compete for the [[Palme d'Or]] at the [[2015 Cannes Film Festival]] but was met with harsh critical reception at the Cannes, being booed and laughed at.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gus Van Sant's 'Sea of Trees' Booed at Cannes Premiere|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/gus-van-sants-sea-of-trees-booed-at-cannes-premiere-1201497795/|access-date=December 28, 2015|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=May 15, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Reinstein|first1=Mara|title=Matthew McConaughey's Film The Sea of Trees Booed, Laughed at During Cannes Film Festival|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/matthew-mcconaugheys-the-sea-of-trees-booed-at-cannes-film-festival-2015165|publisher=usmagazine.com|access-date=May 15, 2015|date=May 15, 2015}}</ref>

In December 2016, it was announced Van Sant would direct ''[[Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot]]'', a biopic about cartoonist [[John Callahan (cartoonist)|John Callahan]], starring [[Joaquin Phoenix]], [[Rooney Mara]], [[Jonah Hill]], [[Jack Black]], and [[Mark Webber (actor)|Mark Webber]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/joaquin-phoenix-gus-van-sant-john-callahan-movie-1201929245/|title=Joaquin Phoenix, Gus Van Sant Eye Reunion for Biopic on Famed Cartoonist John Callahan (EXCLUSIVE)|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Justin|last=Kroll|date=November 29, 2016|access-date=January 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/jonah-hill-rooney-mara-joaquin-phoenix-gus-van-sant-movie-1201942349/|title=Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara in Talks to Join Joaquin Phoenix in Gus Van Sant Film (EXCLUSIVE)|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Justin|last=Kroll|date=December 16, 2016|access-date=January 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/jack-black-joaquin-phoenix-gus-van-sant-movie-1201989664/|title=Jack Black in Talks to Join Joaquin Phoenix in Gus Van Sant's John Callahan Biopic|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Dave|last=McNary|date=February 15, 2017|access-date=March 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/mark-webber-joins-joaquin-phoenix-in-gus-van-sants-john-callahan-biopic-1202000863/|title=Mark Webber Joins Joaquin Phoenix in Gus Van Sant's John Callahan Biopic|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Justin|last=Kroll|date=March 2, 2017|access-date=March 6, 2017}}</ref> Principal photography began in March 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://myentertainmentworld.com/cms/feature-films/page/10/|title=Don't Worry He Won't Get Far on Foot|website=My Entertainment World|access-date=March 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wweek.com/arts/movies/2017/02/21/cast-of-gus-van-sants-john-callahan-movie-including-jonah-hill-rooney-mara-and-joaquin-phoenix-come-to-check-out-portland/|title=Cast of Gus Van Sant's John Callahan Movie, Including Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix Came to Portland Last Weekend|website=Wweek.com|first=Sophia|last=June|date=February 21, 2017|access-date=March 6, 2017}}</ref>

In December 2024, he was reported to be directing ''[[Dead Man's Wire]]'' starring [[Bill Skarsgard]] and [[Dacre Montgomery]], and produced by Elevated Films and Balcony 9 Productions.<ref>{{cite web|website=World of Reel|accessdate=15 January 2025|url= https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2024/12/12/gus-van-sant-to-direct-dead-mans-wire-starring-bill-skarsgrd|title= Gus Van Sant to Direct 'Dead Man's Wire' Starring Bill Skarsgård|date=December 12, 2024|first=Jordan|last=Ruimy}}</ref>

===Other work===
Van Sant released two musical albums: ''Gus Van Sant'' and ''18 Songs About Golf''. Van Sant played himself in episodes of the HBO series ''[[Entourage (U.S. TV series)|Entourage]]'' and the IFC series ''[[Portlandia (TV series)|Portlandia]]''.

Van Sant was credited for all photography, paintings and art direction on the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]]' album ''[[Blood Sugar Sex Magik]]'', and directed the video for "[[Under the Bridge]]". He directed the pilot for the Starz television program ''[[Boss (TV series)|Boss]]'', starring [[Kelsey Grammer]]. Van Sant went onto ''The [[Bret Easton Ellis]] Podcast'' in 2014 to discuss filmmaking, writing, film history and their collaborations that never got made (''The Golden Suicides'') and the one that did (''[[The Canyons (film)|The Canyons]]'').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://podcastone.com/Bret-Easton-Ellis-Podcast |title=Bret Easton Ellis Podcast |publisher=Podcastone.com |access-date=August 4, 2014}}</ref>

== Personal life == 
Van Sant is [[Gay men|gay]] and lives in the [[Los Feliz, Los Angeles|Los Feliz]] neighborhood of [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]].<ref>{{cite web|url = http://gaylife.about.com/cs/gaythemedmovies/a/gusvansant.htm|title = Interview with Openly Gay Filmmaker Gus Van Sant|website = [[About.com]]|date = November 11, 2015|last = Brandao|first = Rodrigo|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160813164931/http://gaylife.about.com/cs/gaythemedmovies/a/gusvansant.htm|archive-date = August 13, 2016}}</ref>

==Archive==
The moving image collection of Gus Van Sant is held at the [[Academy Film Archive]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Gus Van Sant Collection|url=http://www.oscars.org/film-archive/collections/gus-van-sant-collection|website=Academy Film Archive|date=August 20, 2015}}</ref> The archive has preserved many of Van Sant's short films, including ''The Happy Organ'', ''Ken Death Gets Out of Jail'', ''Five Ways to Kill Yourself'', and others.<ref>{{cite web|title=Preserved Projects|url=https://www.oscars.org/academy-film-archive/preserved-projects?title=&filmmaker=van+sant&category=All&collection=All|website=Academy Film Archive}}</ref>

==Filmography==
===Feature films===
==== As a Director ====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="width:26px;"|Year
!|Title
! width=65 |Director
! width="65" |Writer
! width=65 |Producer
! width=65| Editor
|-
| 1985
| ''[[Mala Noche]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{partial|Uncredited}}
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Drugstore Cowboy]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 1991
| ''[[My Own Private Idaho]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (film)|Even Cowgirls Get the Blues]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 1995
| ''[[To Die For]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 1997
| ''[[Good Will Hunting]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Psycho (1998 film)|Psycho]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 2000
| ''[[Finding Forrester]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Gerry (2002 film)|Gerry]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Elephant (2003 film)|Elephant]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 2005
| ''[[Last Days (2005 film)|Last Days]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 2007
| ''[[Paranoid Park (film)|Paranoid Park]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Milk (2008 American film)|Milk]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 2011
| ''[[Restless (2011 film)|Restless]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 2012
| ''[[Promised Land (2012 film)|Promised Land]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 2015
| ''[[The Sea of Trees]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 2018
| ''[[Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 2025
| ''[[Dead Man's Wire]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|}

==== Executive producer only ====
* ''[[Kids (film)|Kids]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Speedway Junky]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Tarnation (2003 film)|Tarnation]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Wild Tigers I Have Known]]'' (2006)
* ''Lightfield's Home Videos'' (2006)
* ''[[Howl (2010 film)|Howl]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Virginia (2010 film)|Virginia]]'' (2010)
* ''Act Up!'' (2012)
* ''[[Laurence Anyways]]'' (2012)
* ''[[Revolution (2012 film)|Revolution]]'' (2013)
* ''[[I Am Michael]]'' (2015)
* ''[[Age Out]]'' (2018)

==== As an Actor ====
* ''[[Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back]]'' (2001) as Himself
* ''[[Entourage (U.S. TV series)|Entourage]]'' Season 5, Episode 12: "[[Return to Queens Blvd.]]" (2008) as Himself
* ''[[The Canyons (film)|The Canyons]]'' (2013) as Dr. Campbell
* ''[[The Trainer (film)|The Trainer]]'' (2024)
* Portlandia (2014) Season 4, Episode 7: Trailblazers

===Short films===
* ''Fun with a Bloodroot'' (1967) 2 min 20 sec, [[8 mm film|8 mm]] [[Color motion picture film|color]]
* ''The Happy Organ'' (1971) 20 min, [[16 mm film|16 mm]] [[Black-and-white|black and white]]
* ''Little Johnny'' (1972) 40 sec, 16&nbsp;mm black and white
* ''1/2 of a Telephone Conversation'' (1973) 2 min, 16&nbsp;mm black and white
* ''Late Morning Start'' (1975) 28 min, 16&nbsp;mm color
* ''The Discipline of DE'' (1978) 9 min, 16&nbsp;mm black and white, adaptation of [[William S. Burroughs]]' short story, narrated by [[Ken Shapiro]]
* ''Alice in Hollywood'' (1981) 45 min, 16&nbsp;mm color
* ''My Friend'' (1982) 3 min, 16&nbsp;mm black and white
* ''Where'd She Go?'' (1983) 3 min, 16&nbsp;mm color
* ''Nightmare Typhoon'' (1984) 9 min, 16&nbsp;mm black and white
* ''My New Friend'' (1984) 3 min, 16&nbsp;mm color
* ''Ken Death Gets Out of Jail'' (1985) 3 min, 16&nbsp;mm black and white
* ''Five Ways to Kill Yourself'' (1986) 3 min, 16&nbsp;mm black and white
* ''Thanksgiving Prayer'' (1991) 2 min, 35&nbsp;mm color, written by and starring [[William S. Burroughs]]
* ''Four Boys on the Road in a Volvo'' (1996) 4min, color
* ''[[Paris, je t'aime]]'' (2006) segment "Le Marais"
* ''[[To Each His Own Cinema]]'' (2007) segment "First Kiss" (3 min)
* ''[[8 (2008 film)|8]]'' (2008) segment "Mansion on the Hill"<ref>{{cite web|title=Biography|url=http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Club/9542/gusbio.html|work=Gus Van Sant|publisher=Geocities|access-date=August 17, 2012|author=Unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026193245/http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Club/9542/gusbio.html|archive-date=October 26, 2009}}</ref>

===Television===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="width:26px;"|Year
!|Title
! width=65 |Director
! width=65 |Producer
! Network 
! Notes
|-
| 2011 || ''[[Boss (TV series)|Boss]]'' || {{Yes}} || {{yes|Executive}} || [[Starz]] || Episode: "Listen" 
|-
| 2015 || ''The Devil You Know'' || {{Yes}} || {{yes|Executive}} || [[HBO]] || Episode: "Pilot"
|-
| 2017 || ''[[When We Rise]]'' || {{Yes}} || {{yes|Executive}} || [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] || Episode: "Part 1"
|-
| 2024 || ''[[Feud: Capote vs. The Swans]]'' || {{Yes}} || {{yes|Executive}} || [[FX on Hulu]] || 6 episodes 
|-
|}

===Music videos===
* "Thanksgiving Prayer" by [[William Burroughs]] (1990)
* "[[Fame (David Bowie song)#"Fame '90"|Fame '90]]" by [[David Bowie]] (1990)
* "I'm Seventeen" by [[Tommy Conwell & The Young Rumblers]] (1991)
* "[[Under the Bridge]]" by [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] (1992)
* "Bang Bang Bang" by [[Tracy Chapman]] (1992)
* "[[Runaway (Deee-Lite song)|Runaway]]" by [[Deee-Lite]] (1992)
* "[[The Last Song (Elton John song)|The Last Song]]" by [[Elton John]] (1992)
* "San Francisco Days" by [[Chris Isaak]] (1993)
* "Just Keep Me Moving" by [[k.d. lang]] (1993)
* "[[Creep (Stone Temple Pilots song)|Creep]]" (alternative version) by [[Stone Temple Pilots]] (1993)
* "Understanding" by [[Candlebox]] (1995)
* "Ballad of the Skeletons" by [[Allen Ginsberg]] with [[Paul McCartney]], [[Philip Glass]], [[Lenny Kaye]] et al. (1996)
* "[[Weird (Hanson song)|Weird]]" by [[Hanson (band)|Hanson]] (1998)
* "[[Who Did You Think I Was]]" (turntable version) by [[John Mayer Trio]] (2005)
* "[[Desecration Smile]]" by [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] (2007)<ref>{{cite web|title=Gus van Sant|url=http://www.mvdbase.com/tech.php?last=van+Sant&first=Gus|work=mvdbase.com|publisher=Alex S. Garcia|access-date=August 17, 2012|author=Alex S. Garcia|year=1998–2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007171748/http://www.mvdbase.com/tech.php?last=van+Sant&first=Gus|archive-date=October 7, 2012|url-status=dead}} Note that Chris Isaak's ''Solitary Man'' (1993) was ''not'' directed by Van Sant but by [[Larry Clark]].</ref>
* "Ain't it Funny" by [[Danny Brown]] (2016)

==Awards and nominations==
Van Sant became one of only two filmmakers—the other being [[Coen brothers|Joel Coen]]—to win both the [[Palme d'Or]] and Best Director accolades at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] in the same year.<ref name="cannes-2003.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4071982/year/2003.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Elephant |access-date=November 5, 2009|work=festival-cannes.com}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Association
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
! class=unsortable|Ref.
|-
| 1986 || [[Berlin International Film Festival]] || Best Short Film || ''Five Ways to Kill Yourself'' || {{won}} ||
|-
| 1987 || [[Los Angeles Film Critics Association]] || Experimental Film Award || ''Mala Noche'' || {{won}} ||
|-
|1989 || [[Berlin International Film Festival]] || CICAE Award || rowspan=7|''[[Drugstore Cowboy]]'' || {{won}} || 
|-
|rowspan=2|1989 || rowspan=2|[[Independent Spirit Awards]] || Best Director || {{nom}} || rowspan=2|
|-
| Best Screenplay || {{won}} 
|-
| 1989 || [[Los Angeles Film Critics Association]] || Best Screenplay || {{won}} || 
|-
| rowspan=2|1989 || rowspan=2|[[National Society of Film Critics]] || Best Director || {{won}} ||
|-
| Best Screenplay || {{won}} || 
|-
| 1989 || [[New York Film Critics' Circle]] || Best Screenplay || {{won}} ||
|-
| rowspan=2|1991 || rowspan=2|[[Independent Spirit Awards]] || Best Director || rowspan=4|''[[My Own Private Idaho]]'' || {{nom}} || rowspan=2|
|-
| Best Screenplay || {{won}} 
|-
| 1991 || [[New York Film Critics' Circle]] || Best Director || {{nom}} || 
|-
| 1991 || [[Venice International Film Festival]] || [[Golden Lion]] || {{nom}} || 
|-
| 1993 || [[Venice International Film Festival]] || [[Golden Lion]] || ''[[Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (film)|Even Cowgirls Get the Blues]]'' || {{nom}} ||
|-
|1997 || rowspan=1|[[Academy Awards]] || rowspan=1|[[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] || rowspan=3|''[[Good Will Hunting]]'' || {{nom}} || <ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1998|title= The 70th Academy Awards|website= [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|date= October 5, 2014|accessdate= February 14, 2025}}</ref>
|-
|1997 || [[Berlin International Film Festival]] || [[Golden Berlin Bear]] || {{nom}} ||
|-
| 1997 || [[Directors Guild of America Awards]] || Best Director || {{nom}} ||
|-
|rowspan=2| 2000 || rowspan=2|[[Berlin International Film Festival]] || [[Golden Berlin Bear]] || rowspan=2|''[[Finding Forrester]]'' || {{nom}} || rowspan=2|
|-
| German Art House Guild Prize || {{won}} 
|-
| 2002 || [[Independent Spirit Awards]] || Best Director || ''[[Gerry (2002 film)|Gerry]]'' || {{nom}} ||
|-
|rowspan=3|2003 || rowspan=3|[[Cannes Film Festival]] || [[Palme d'Or]] || rowspan=5|''[[Elephant (2003 film)|Elephant]]'' || {{won}} || rowspan=3|
|-
|Best Director || {{won}} 
|-
|Cinema Prize of the French National Education System || {{won}} 
|-
| 2003 || rowspan=1|[[César Awards]] || rowspan=1|Best Foreign Film || {{nom}} ||
|-
| 2003 || [[Independent Spirit Awards]] || Best Director || {{nom}} || 
|-
| 2005 || rowspan=3|[[Cannes Film Festival]] || [[Palme d'Or]] || ''[[Last Days (2005 film)|Last Days]]'' || {{nom}} || 
|-
| 2006 ||  Un Certain Regard || ''[[Paris, Je T'aime]]'' || {{nom}} ||
|-
| 2007 || [[Palme d'Or]] || rowspan=2|''[[Paranoid Park (film)|Paranoid Park]]'' || {{nom}} || 
|-
| 2007 || [[Independent Spirit Awards]] || Best Director || {{nom}} ||
|-
| 2008 || [[Academy Award]] || [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] || rowspan=5|''[[Milk (2008 American film)|Milk]]'' || {{nom}} || <ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2009|title= The 2008 Academy Awards|website= [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|date= October 7, 2014|accessdate= February 14, 2025}}</ref>
|-
| 2008 || [[Berlin International Film Festival]] || Best Feature Film || {{nom}} ||
|-
| 2008 || [[César Awards]] || Best Foreign Film || {{nom}} ||
|-
| 2008 || [[Critics' Choice Movie Awards]] || Best Director || {{nom}} ||
|-
| 2008 || [[Directors Guild of America Awards]] || Best Director - Motion Picture || {{nom}} ||
|-
|2011 || [[Cannes Film Festival]] || Un Certain Regard || ''[[Restless (2011 film)|Restless]]'' || {{nom}} || 
|-
|rowspan=2| 2013 || rowspan=2|[[Berlin International Film Festival]] || [[Golden Berlin Bear]] || rowspan=2|''[[Promised Land (2013 film)|Promised Land]]'' || {{nom}} || rowspan=2|
|-
| International Jury Mention || {{won}} 
|-
|2015 || [[Cannes Film Festival]] || [[Palme d'Or]] || ''[[The Sea of Trees]]'' || {{nom}} ||
|-
|rowspan=2| 2018 || rowspan=2|[[Berlin International Film Festival]] || [[Golden Berlin Bear]] || rowspan=2|''[[Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot]]'' || {{nom}} || rowspan=2|
|-
| Best Feature Film || {{nom}} 
|-
| 2024 || [[Primetime Emmy Award]] || [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie]] || ''[[Feud: Capote vs. The Swans]]'' || {{nom}} ||
|-
| 2025 || [[82nd Venice International Film Festival|Venice International Film Festival]] || [[Campari]] ''Passion for Film'' Award || {{n/a}} || {{honored}} ||<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-01 |title=Biennale Cinema 2025 {{!}} Director Gus Van Sant to receive the 2025 Campari Passion for Film Award |url=https://www.labiennale.org/en/news/director-gus-van-sant-receive-2025-campari-passion-film-award |access-date=2025-08-02 |website=La Biennale di Venezia |language=en}}</ref>
|}
'''Directed Academy Award performances'''

Under Van Sant's direction, these actors have received [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nominations for their performances in their respective roles.

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Performer
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Result
|-
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|'''[[Academy Award for Best Actor]]'''
|-
| [[70th Academy Awards|1998]]
| [[Matt Damon]]
| ''[[Good Will Hunting]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[81st Academy Awards|2009]]
| [[Sean Penn]]
|''[[Milk (2008 American film)|Milk]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center;"|'''[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]'''
|-
| [[70th Academy Awards|1998]]
| [[Robin Williams]]
| ''[[Good Will Hunting]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[81st Academy Awards|2009]]
| [[Josh Brolin]]
|''[[Milk (2008 American film)|Milk]]''
|{{Nom}}
|-
| colspan="4" |     '''[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]]'''
|-
|[[70th Academy Awards|1998]]
|[[Minnie Driver]]
|''[[Good Will Hunting]]''
|Nominated
|}

== Discography ==
* ''The Elvis of Letters'' (1985) with [[William S. Burroughs]]
* ''Millions of Images'' (1990) with [[William S. Burroughs]]
* ''18 Songs About Golf'' (1998)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hyden |first=Steven |title=You're So Big and Free- TGJ |url=https://www.golfersjournal.com/editorial/youre-big-free/ |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=The Golfer’s Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of LGBTQ Academy Award winners and nominees]]
* [[List of LGBT people from Portland, Oregon]]
* [[List of people from the Louisville metropolitan area]]
* [[List of Rhode Island School of Design people]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Weber, Christian (2015). Gus Van Sant: Looking for a Place Like Home (PhD thesis, University of Mainz). Berlin, Bertz + Fischer. {{ISBN|978-3-86505-321-3}}
* Tréguer, Florian (2023). ''Gus Van Sant : Cinéaste de l'Infinitif''. Éditions Passages, collection « Focales ». {{ISBN|978-2492986123}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|0001814}}
* {{Charlie Rose view|1761}}
* {{Guardian topic}}

{{Gus Van Sant}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Gus Van Sant
|list =
{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Director}}
{{Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director}}
{{Cannes Film Festival Best Director Award}}
{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director}}
{{Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director}}
{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Sant, Gus}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American screenwriters]]
[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American screenwriters]]
[[Category:American film editors]]
[[Category:American gay artists]]
[[Category:American gay writers]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ screenwriters]]
[[Category:American male screenwriters]]
[[Category:American people of Dutch descent]]
[[Category:Censorship in the arts]]
[[Category:Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director winners]]
[[Category:Catlin Gabel School alumni]]
[[Category:Darien High School alumni]]
[[Category:Directors of Palme d'Or winners]]
[[Category:English-language film directors]]
[[Category:Film directors from Kentucky]]
[[Category:Film directors from Oregon]]
[[Category:Film producers from Kentucky]]
[[Category:Film producers from Oregon]]
[[Category:Filmmakers from Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ film directors]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people from Oregon]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people from Kentucky]]
[[Category:People from Los Feliz, Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Photographers from Oregon]]
[[Category:Rhode Island School of Design alumni]]
[[Category:Writers from Louisville, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Best Screenplay Independent Spirit Award winners]]