Gus Van Sant

Born: 1952-07-24

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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Finding Forrester

as Library Assistant (uncredited)
Released: 2000-12-21

Gus Van Sant tells the story of a young African American man named Jamal who confronts his...

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My Own Private Idaho

as Man Behind Hotel Counter (uncredited)
Released: 1991-02-01

In this loose adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henry IV," Mike Waters is a hustler afflicted with...

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Zeroville

as Film Archive Curator
Released: 2019-09-19

A young actor arrives in Hollywood in 1969 during a transitional time in the Industry.

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Psycho

as Man Talking to Man in Cowboy Hat (uncredited)
Released: 1998-12-04

A young female embezzler arrives at the Bates Motel, which has terrible secrets of its own.

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The Canyons

as Dr. Campbell
Released: 2013-08-02

The discovery of an illicit love affair leads two young Angelenos on a violent, sexually charged...

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as Gus Van Sant
Released: 2001-08-22

When Jay and Silent Bob learn that their comic-book alter egos, Bluntman and Chronic, have been...

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Drugstore Cowboy

as Himself (uncredited)
Released: 1989-10-20

Portland, Oregon, 1971. Bob Hughes is the charismatic leader of a peculiar quartet, formed by...

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Paranoid Park

as Guy Reading Newspaper (uncredited)
Released: 2007-07-12

A teenage skateboarder becomes suspected of being connected with a security guard who suffered a...

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Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

as Willamette Week Editor
Released: 2018-04-04

On the rocky path to sobriety after a life-changing accident, John Callahan discovers the...

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Mala Noche

as Guy at Hotel (uncredited)
Released: 1988-05-04

Walt is a lonely convenience store clerk who has fallen in love with a Mexican migrant worker...

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Last Days

as Phone Voice (voice)
Released: 2005-06-12

The life and struggles of a notorious rock musician seeping into a pit of loneliness whose...

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Crítico

as Self
Released: 2008-01-22

Seventy critics and filmmakers discuss cinema around the conflict between the artist and the...

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William S. Burroughs: A Man Within

as Self
Released: 2010-11-05

A riveting and emotional journey into the world of writer William S. Burroughs, a man considered...

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Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible

as Self
Released: 2016-09-20

Actors Anne Dorval, Suzanne Clément, Monia Chokri, Gaspard Ulliel, Vincent Cassel, Niels...

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Nicole Kidman: Eyes Wide Open

as Self (interview)
Released: 2023-09-10

Over the years, Nicole Kidman, Oscar and two-time Emmy Award winner, became both a pop culture...

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Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema

as Self
Released: 2006-02-12

A chronological look at films by, for, or about gays and lesbians in the United States, from...

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A Special Day

as Self
Released: 2012-05-16

At the 60th anniversary of Cannes Film Festival, 34 famous directors are followed by camera.

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At the Video Store

as Self
Released: 2019-10-11

Equal parts personal essay, intense rumination, and playful satire, this movie laments the death...

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Rescued from the Closet

as Self
Released: 2001-05-29

A collection of interviews recorded for the making of the 1995 documentary "The Celluloid...

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Illegal Civilization 3

as Self
Released: 2018-08-25

Features Kevin White, Aramis Hudson, Zach Saraceno, Nico Hiraga, and Olan Prenatt skating,...

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Here’s Looking at You, Boy

as Self
Released: 2007-02-16

Documentary on the history of gay and lesbian film.

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In the Mood for Doyle

as Self
Released: 2007-08-30

Christopher Doyle is one of the best known and most acclaimed directors of photography in world...

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The Making of Last Days

as Himself
Released: 2004-01-01

Behind-the-scenes documentary of Gus Van Sant's "Last Days."

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Strange Parallel

as Self
Released: 1998-10-14

Strange Parallel is a documentary/short film revolving around the American singer/songwriter...

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Red Hot Chili Peppers: Funky Monks

as Himself
Released: 1991-10-29

An intimate look at Los Angeles-based funk rock foursome Red Hot Chili Peppers' creative process...

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I Don't Belong Anywhere: The Cinema of Chantal Akerman

as Self
Released: 2015-09-28

I Don’t Belong Anywhere - Le Cinéma de Chantal Akerman, explores some of the Belgian...

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About Cinema

as uncredited
Released: 2015-09-15

An abandoned tumbledown theater in the outback of Paraíba state is the initial setting of a film...

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About Elephant

as Self
Released: 2003-01-01

15-minute interview with director Gus Van Sant on Elephant (2003)

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Five Ways to Kill Yourself

as uncredited
Released: 1987-02-20

Gus Van Sant, dissatisfied professionally, counts five ways to end his life. Preserved by the...

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Made in the USA

as Self
Released: 1993-09-25

A Paul Joyce documentary on the American independent film scene.

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The Making of ‘My Own Private Idaho’

as uncredited
Released: 2005-03-01

Making-of documentary of Gus Van Sant's 'My Own Private Idaho'.

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who is Gus Van Sant?

as Himself
Released: 2024-03-30

An essay based on photographs and videos taken during the Gus Van Sant retrospective held at La...

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Saltlake Van Sant

as Himself
Released: 2003-11-11

Behind-the-scenes documentary of one morning on the set of "Gerry" directed by Gus Van Sant.

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The Advocate for Fagdom

as Himself
Released: 2011-11-04

The Advocate for Fagdom unites the puzzle pieces one by one. Testimonies are combined with rare...

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The Making of Drugstore Cowboy

as uncredited
Released: 1999-10-26

Portland, 1988. Filmmaker Gus Van Sant shoots Drugstore Cowboy, the project that will bring he...

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Guns on the Clackamas

as uncredited
Released: 1995-01-01

Nigel Nado, the notable documentary filmmaker, is trying to make a movie about some people...

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On the Set of 'Elephant': Rolling Through Time

as Himself
Released: 2004-05-04

An artistic and unconventional documentary about the making of Gus Van Sant's 'Elephant'. Brief...

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Making Paranoid Park

as uncredited
Released: 2008-04-24

Behind the scenes documentary of Gus Van Sant's "Paranoid Park." Felix Andrew: director,...

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Portlandia

as Gus Van Sant
First aired: 2011-01-21

Satirical sketch comedy set and filmed in Portland, Oregon that explores the eccentric misfits...

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The Story of Film: An Odyssey

as Self
First aired: 2011-09-03

A worldwide guided tour of the greatest movies ever made and the story of international cinema...

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Leçon de Cinéma

as Self
First aired: 2004-03-20

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The Greatest Event in Television History

as Self
First aired: 2012-10-12

Adam Scott is determined to make the greatest event in television history by remaking the...

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Hi Octane

as Self
First aired: 1994-07-01

Short-lived 4-episode Comedy Central TV show created by and starring Sofia Coppola, co-starring...

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