Book Gus Van Sant

Gus Van Sant is an American filmmaker, photographer, painter, musician and author whose independent spirit made him a leading voice of the new queer cinema movement. He began by directing commercials in the Pacific Northwest before making his feature debut with Mala Noche (1985), then won wide acclaim with Drugstore Cowboy (1989), My Own Private Idaho (1991) and To Die For (1995). He earned Academy Award nominations for Best Director for Good Will Hunting (1997) and Milk (2008), both of which were also nominated for Best Picture. His drama Elephant (2003) won both the Palme d'Or and the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Other notable films include Finding Forrester (2000), Paranoid Park (2007), Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018) and Dead Man's Wire (2025), and he contributed to the anthology Paris, je t'aime (2006). On television he directed and executive produced the political drama Boss (2011), the miniseries When We Rise (2018) and Feud: Capote vs. The Swans (2024). He is also the author of the book Pink (1997), and he brings an artist's view of storytelling, outsider subcultures and independent film.