Directing
Gus Van Sant
Born Jul 24, 1952 · Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Achievement in Directing for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, and won the Palme d'Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival for his film Elephant. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
His early career was devoted to directing television commercials in the Pacific Northwest. In his films, he has dealt with themes concerning homosexuality and other marginalized subcultures.
His filmography as writer and director includes an adaptation of Tom Robbins' novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, which features a diverse cast (Keanu Reeves, Roseanne Barr, Uma Thurman, and k.d. lang, with cameos by William S. Burroughs and Heather Graham, among others); and My Own Private Idaho, also starring Reeves as well as River Phoenix.
He wrote the screenplays for most of his early movies, and wrote one novel, Pink. A book of his photography has also been published, called 108 Portraits.
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Directed
Dead Man's Wire
2026
Crime · Drama · Thriller
Ouverture of Something That Never Ended
2020
Romance · Mystery
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
2018
Comedy · Drama
FEUD
2017
Drama
When We Rise
2017
Drama
The Sea of Trees
2016
Drama
Promised Land
2012
Drama
My Own Private River
2012
Documentary
Boss
2011
Drama · War & Politics · Crime
Restless
2011
Drama · Romance
Milk
2008
History · Drama
8
2008
Drama
Mansion on the Hill
2008
Drama
To Each His Own Cinema
2007
Comedy · Drama
Paranoid Park
2007
Drama · Crime
Paris Je T'aime
2006
Drama · Romance
Le Marais
2006
Romance · Comedy
Cinema16: American Short Films
2006
Best of Chris Isaak
2006
Documentary · Music
Last Days
2005
Drama
Elephant
2003
Crime · Drama
Gerry
2002
Drama · Adventure · Mystery
David Bowie: Best of Bowie
2002
Music
Finding Forrester
2000
Drama · History
Psycho
1998
Horror · Mystery · Thriller
Good Will Hunting
1997
Drama
Ballad of the Skeletons
1997
Music
Four Boys in a Volvo
1996
Drama
To Die For
1995
Drama · Comedy · Crime
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
1994
Comedy · Drama · Romance
My Own Private Idaho
1991
Drama
Thanksgiving Prayer
1991
Music
Drugstore Cowboy
1989
Drama · Crime
Ken Death Gets Out of Jail
1988
Junior
1988
Mala Noche
1987
Drama · Romance
Five Ways to Kill Yourself
1987
Comedy
My New Friend
1987
Drama
The Discipline of D.E.
1982
Comedy · Drama
Psycho Shampoo
1979
Comedy
1/2 of a Telephone Conversation
1973
Little Johnny
1972
Acting
The Trainer
2024
Comedy
Nicole Kidman: Eyes Wide Open
2023
Documentary
Andy by Gus
2023
Documentary
At the Video Store
2019
Documentary
Zeroville
2019
Comedy · Drama
