Gus Van Sant
Gus VAN SANT (1952, USA) is a filmmaker, visual artist and musician. Over the years, he has developed a distinct visual and emotional style that bridges independent and mainstream cinema. His breakthrough film Drugstore Cowboy (1989) established him as a leading figure in the U.S. indie scene. He went on to receive Academy Award nominations for Best Director for Good Will Hunting (1997) and Milk (2008), both also nominated for Best Picture. With Elephant (2003), an unflinching portrait of youth and violence, he won the Palme d’Or and Best Director at Cannes. His most recent work, Dead Man’s Wire (2026), premiered at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals.
Filmography
The Discipline of D.E. (1977, short), Alice in Hollywood (1979), My Friend (1981, short), Where’d She Go (1982, short), Nightmare Typhoon (1983, short), Five Ways to Kill (1984, short), Mala noche (1985), My New Friend (1986, short), Switzerland (1987, short), Ken Death Gets out of Jail (1987, short), Drugstore Cowboy (1988), My Own Private Idaho (1991), Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1994), To Die For (1995), Ballad of the Skeletons (1996), Good Will Hunting (1997), Psycho (1998), Finding Forrester (2000), Gerry (2001), Elephant (2003), Last Days (2005), Paris je t’aime (fragment Le Marais) (2006), Chacun son cinéma ou Ce petit coup au coeur quand la lumière s’éteint et que le film commence/To Each His Cinema (fragment First Kiss) (2007), Paranoid Park (2007), Milk (2008), Restless (2011), My Own Private River (2012), Promised Land (2012), The See of Trees (2015), Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot (2018), Dead Man’s Wire (2026)
Gus Van Sant op IFFR
-
Dead Man’s Wire
Gus Van Sant | 104' | USA | Dutch Premiere
Gus Van Sant’s exhilarating true-tale of a man who stood up against an unjust mortgage system. -
Mala noche
Gus Van Sant | 78' | USA | None
First feature by maestro Gus Van Sant. An atmospheric and sultry black & white story about a man who falls in love with much younger… -
Elephant
Gus Van Sant | 81' | USA | None
Authentic, supple film version of a shooting at a high school, loosely based on true events. Pure fiction, but with a documentary feel. Winner of… -
Paranoid Park
Gus Van Sant | 85' | USA | None
Not just a skate film, but a skate film with an exciting thriller story, filmed by master cameraman Christopher Doyle and directed by Gus Van… -
Gerry
Gus Van Sant | 103' | USA | -
Two boys who call each other Gerry (Matt Damon and Casey Affleck) get lost in the desert. Gus Van Sant keeps the tempo down in… -
Elephant
Gus Van Sant | 81' | USA | -
Authentic, supple film version of a shooting at a high school, loosely based on true events. Pure fiction, but with a documentary feel. Winner of… -
Mala noche
Gus Van Sant | 78' | USA | -
First feature by maestro Gus Van Sant. An atmospheric and sultry black & white story about a man who falls in love with much younger… -
To Die For
Gus Van Sant | 106' | USA | -
Hilarious comedy about a young woman who is preparated to go to all lengths to become a TV star. With Nicole Kidman and Matt Dillon. -
Nova Expresso
Rick Morris, Marianne Angelo | 4' | USA | -
Sampled ode to Marcello Mastroianni inspired by texts by William Burroughs. -
Elephant
Gus Van Sant | 81' | USA | -
Authentic, supple film version of a shooting at a high school, loosely based on true events. Pure fiction, but with a documentary feel. Winner of…