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Gus Van Sant Sr. Wiki Biography
Template:Multiple issues Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American film director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He is a two-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director—for Good Will Hunting (1997) and Milk (2008), both of which were also nominated for Best Picture—and won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his film Elephant (2003). 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 a 1994 adaptation of Tom Robbins’ 1976 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 (1991), 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.
| Full Name | Gus Van Sant |
| Net Worth | $45 Million |
| Date Of Birth | July 24, 1952 |
| Place Of Birth | Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
| Height | 1.75 m |
| Profession | Film director, Film producer, Film Editor, Television producer, Photographer, Screenwriter, Musician, Painter |
| Education | Darien High School, Rhode Island School of Design |
| Nationality | American |
| Parents | Gus Green Van Sant, Sr, Betty Van Sant |
| MySpace | https://myspace.com/gusvansant |
| IMDB | http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001814/ |
| Awards | Palme d’Or, Cannes Best Director Award, more |
| Albums | The Elvis of Letters |
| Nominations | Academy Award for Best Director, Golden Lion, César Award for Best Foreign Film, Grand Jury Prize, Independent Spirit Award for Best Director, Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Director, Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature, Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Fea… |
| Movies | Good Will Hunting, The Sea of Trees, My Own Private Idaho, Milk, Last Days, Gerry, Elephant, Drugstore Cowboy, Paranoid Park, Psycho, To Die For, Restless, Finding Forrester, Mala Noche, Promised Land, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Paris, I Love You, The Discipline of DE, The Canyons, To Each His Own… |
| TV Shows | Portlandia |
| Trademark | |
|---|---|
| 1 | His end credits are often run over film footage (i.e. home movies in ‘Drugstore Cowboy’, ice skating in ‘To Die For’, an incoming storm in ‘Elephant’) instead of the usual solid black. A notable exception is ‘My Own Private Idaho’. |
| 2 | Usually uses music by Danny Elfman |
| 3 | Utilizes very low depth of field in his films’ cinematography |
| 4 | Often uses shot of cloud formation (e.g. Elephant, Drugstore Cowboy, Gerry, Paranoid Park, and Psycho) |
| 5 | Frequently casts Matt Dillon, Keanu Reeves, Grace Zabriskie, Matt Damon and James Remar |
| Quote | |
|---|---|
| 1 | With Psycho (1960), I was sort of angry at Hollywood trying to remake movies, because it seemed like they would rob the screenplay and forget all the other inputs, whatever else existed. For instance, in a movie like Casablanca (1942), they would take the script and they would actually change the script. So I said, “Why don’t you just shoot it exactly the way it is, because it’s a great movie?” This was my sort of anti-remake statement. And it wasn’t until after Good Will Hunting (1997) that they were willing to let me do that. Universal was the company that I would go to for meetings, and every time they’d ask me what I wanted to do. The first time I said something like, “Why don’t you remake something like Psycho without changing it?” And subsequently, after they laughed at me that time, I’d bring it up again the next year, and the next year, until finally, when Good Will Hunting was up for awards, they wanted me to do something at Universal. And I said the Psycho-don’t-change-anything shoot, and their response was, “We think that’s a really brilliant idea.” [audience laughs] So then they were willing to do it and the ball was in my court, to decide whether I wanted to do it. Danny Elfman said the critics would kill me, which they did. But I still thought that it was worthy of experimentation, even though I was at a weird point, with the nominations and everything.(…)I expected it to be a huge blockbuster.[2009] |
| 2 | [on going digital to produce no-budget movies outside of Hollywood] There was an expected style in making a movie, like a template, and to deviate from it was highly suspect. You always made these a-little-more-safe decisions because money was riding on it. I got tired of it. |
| 3 | [on ‘Restless’] Younger cancer patients form these relationships with complete strangers because the depth of the tragedy is so great it wipes out the standard support systems of friends and families. Parents can’t cope, so they make new friends – and they can be staff at the hospital, or someone they just picked out. |
| 4 | I’m really going in a weird I-don’t-know-where direction. I prefer it to anything like what standardised filmmaking has become. |
| 5 | Different filmmakers do it different ways. My way was to make something for cheap. It’s a good deal for people to give me $3 million for a movie. So they don’t have a lot of requirements. If I was looking for $30 million, then they need more requirements. They need movie stars, and they need backup for their money. The drawback is, when they spend small amounts of money, the studios don’t tend to release the movie very wide since they donât have that much at stake. Which is O.K. because the films can fend for themselves and be seen by word of mouth. |
| 6 | Kubrick was a good model. He had an autonomy I’ve never had but that one desire. He organized things a certain way. And he had a good relationship with Warner Brothers. He was their class act. |
| 7 | Because we’re used to making films and observing films with a sort of shorthand. You see the car going down the road. O.K. Got it. Then it’s the next shot. Usually what happens then is people start talking about something that will relate to the story instead of something random and more lifelike, like dental work. We learn in English class not to have it be about dental work. But maybe watching the car going down the road is important. To really watch it – as if you were in the car. |
| 8 | Part of me believes in anonymous art. I got that from a writer named Jamake Highwater, who wrote about painting before the Renaissance. The way people related to art in, say, ancient Greece. How it was about the community for the community and not the self-expression of the artist. I thought of ‘Good Will Hunting’ and ‘Finding Forrester’ as doing it for the people, and wanted to speak without the hindrance of my own style. I’m not sure if that’s possible, but it was my rationale. |
| 9 | I have this new theory about films. It’s almost like astrology, where if we started on a Tuesday the film will be different than if we started on a Wednesday. Not because of the planets. It’s that sometimes you start with the wrong balance and the whole thing gets messed up. |
| 10 | You can’t copy a film. If I hold a camera, it’s different than if Irving Penn holds it. Even if it’s in the same place, it will magically take on his character. Which was part of the experiment. Our ‘Psycho’ showed that you can’t really appropriate. Or you can appropriate, but it’s not going to be the same thing. |
| 11 | When asked “Why in the hell would you want to do a shot-by-shot remake of Psycho in color?” He serenely replied “So no one else would have to.” |
| Fact | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Directed 5 actors in Oscar nominated performances: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Minnie Driver, Sean Penn, and Josh Brolin. Williams and Penn won Oscars for performances in one of his movies. |
| 2 | He has taught two classes at the Northwest Film Center in Portland, OR. |
| 3 | Was member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 1991. |
| 4 | Elephant (2003), the very first film he directed that was accepted into Cannes, won the festival’s two most prestigious awards: the Palme d’or and best director. |
| 5 | Interviewed in “Directors Close Up: Interviews with Directors Nominated for Best Film by the Directors Guild of America”, ed. by Jeremy Kagan, Scarecrow Press, 2006. |
| 6 | Cast 3 of the 5 Phoenix siblings in his movies. River Phoenix in My Own Private Idaho (1991), Rain Phoenix in Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) and Joaquin Phoenix in To Die For (1995). |
| 7 | His 1997 film Good Will Hunting (1997) is parodied in the 2001 Kevin Smith film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001). |
| 8 | Often casts Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea in small or cameo roles in his films. |
| 9 | Van Sant had planned to make a film about artist Andy Warhol with River Phoenix starring as the young Warhol, but plans were scrapped after Phoenix’s death. |
| 10 | He dedicated both his 1993 film Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) and his 1997 novel “Pink” to the late actor River Phoenix. |
| 11 | In addition to being a successful film director, Van Sant is also a published author (his first novel, “Pink”, was published in 1997), a musician (two solo albums “Gus Van Sant” and “18 Songs About Golf” were released on the PopTones label in late 1997, plus his musical/spoken word collaboration with William S. Burroughs, “The Elvis Of Letters” was released in 1985 as the first album put out on the Tim Kerr record label), and a photographer (a large book of his photographs titled “108 Portraits” was published in 1992 and is now something of a collectors item.) |
| 12 | In 1992 received the American Civil Liberties Union(ACLU) of Oregon’s Freedom of Expression Award, which recognizes courage or creative vision in upholding free expression, particularly in the arts, for his films that have, ” let us see inside the lives of individuals we don’t often get a glimpse at.” |
| 13 | Director of Hanson’s music video “Weird” and asked Hanson to produce a song for his next movie. |
| 14 | Once worked as an assistant to Roger Corman. |
| 15 | Is a member of a band, Destroy All Blondes. |
| 16 | Favorite director is Stanley Kubrick. |
| 17 | Graduate of Rhode Island School of Design. |
Producer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| When We Rise | 2017 | TV Mini-Series executive producer – 6 episodes post-production | |
| The McKennas | executive producer pre-production | ||
| City of Gold | 2016 | executive producer | |
| I Am Michael | 2015 | executive producer | |
| Promised Land | 2012 | executive producer | |
| Boss | 2011-2012 | TV Series executive producer – 18 episodes | |
| Revolution | 2012/II | Documentary executive producer | |
| Laurence Anyways | 2012 | executive producer | |
| Act Up! | 2012 | Documentary executive producer | |
| Restless | 2011/I | producer | |
| Virginia | 2010 | executive producer | |
| Howl | 2010 | executive producer | |
| Lightfield’s Home Videos | 2006 | Video executive producer | |
| Wild Tigers I Have Known | 2006 | executive producer | |
| On the Set of ‘Elephant’: Rolling Through Time | 2004 | Video documentary short executive producer | |
| Tarnation | 2003 | Documentary executive producer | |
| ‘Psycho’ Path | 1999 | Video short documentary executive producer | |
| Speedway Junky | 1999 | executive producer | |
| Psycho | 1998 | producer | |
| Kids | 1995 | executive producer | |
| Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | 1993 | executive producer – as Gus Van Sant Jr. | |
| Thanksgiving Prayer | 1991 | Short producer | |
| Five Ways to Kill Yourself | 1987 | Short producer | |
| Mala Noche | 1986 | producer | |
| The Discipline of D.E. | 1982 | Short producer |
Director
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| When We Rise | 2017 | TV Mini-Series 1 episode post-production | |
| The Sea of Trees | 2015 | ||
| The Devil You Know | 2015 | TV Mini-Series 1 episode | |
| Promised Land | 2012 | ||
| My Own Private River | 2012 | Documentary | |
| Boss | 2011 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| Restless | 2011/I | ||
| Milk | 2008/I | ||
| 8 | 2008 | segment “Mansion on the hill” | |
| Paranoid Park | 2007 | ||
| Chacun son cinéma ou Ce petit coup au coeur quand la lumière s’éteint et que le film commence | 2007 | segment “First Kiss” | |
| Paris, je t’aime | 2006 | segment “Le Marais” | |
| Best of Chris Isaak | 2006 | Video music video “San Francisco Days” | |
| Last Days | 2005 | ||
| Red Hot Chili Peppers: Greatest Videos | 2003 | Video documentary video “Under the Bridge” | |
| Elephant | 2003 | ||
| Best of Bowie | 2002 | Video documentary video “Fame ’90” | |
| Gerry | 2002 | ||
| Finding Forrester | 2000 | ||
| Psycho | 1998 | ||
| Good Will Hunting | 1997 | ||
| Ballad of the Skeletons | 1997 | Short | |
| Understanding | 1996 | TV Short | |
| Four Boys in a Volvo | 1996 | Short | |
| To Die For | 1995 | ||
| Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | 1993 | as Gus Van Sant Jr. | |
| Bowie: The Video Collection | 1993 | Video video “Fame ’90” | |
| Thanksgiving Prayer | 1991 | Short | |
| My Own Private Idaho | 1991 | ||
| Drugstore Cowboy | 1989 | as Gus Van Sant Jr. | |
| Ken Death Gets Out of Jail | 1988 | Short | |
| Five Ways to Kill Yourself | 1987 | Short | |
| My New Friend | 1987 | Short | |
| Mala Noche | 1986 | ||
| The Discipline of D.E. | 1982 | Short |
Writer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paranoid Park | 2007 | screenplay | |
| Paris, je t’aime | 2006 | segment “Le Marais” | |
| Last Days | 2005 | written by | |
| Elephant | 2003 | written by | |
| Gerry | 2002 | written by | |
| Ballad of the Skeletons | 1997 | Short | |
| Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | 1993 | screenplay | |
| My Own Private Idaho | 1991 | screenplay | |
| Drugstore Cowboy | 1989 | screenplay – as Gus Van Sant Jr. | |
| Five Ways to Kill Yourself | 1987 | Short | |
| Mala Noche | 1986 | screenplay | |
| The Discipline of D.E. | 1982 | Short |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Canyons | 2013 | Dr. Campbell | |
| Entourage | 2008 | TV Series | Gus Van Sant |
| Paranoid Park | 2007 | Guy reading newspaper (unconfirmed, uncredited) | |
| Last Days | 2005 | Phone Voice (voice) | |
| Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | 2001 | Gus Van Sant | |
| Finding Forrester | 2000 | Library Assistant (uncredited) | |
| Psycho | 1998 | Man Talking to Man in Cowboy Hat (uncredited) | |
| My Own Private Idaho | 1991 | Man Behind Hotel Counter (uncredited) | |
| Five Ways to Kill Yourself | 1987 | Short | |
| Mala Noche | 1986 | Guy at Hotel (uncredited) |
Editor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 2008 | segment “Mansion on the Hill” | |
| Paranoid Park | 2007 | ||
| Last Days | 2005 | ||
| Elephant | 2003 | ||
| Gerry | 2002 | ||
| Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | 1993 | as Gus Van Sant Jr. | |
| Mala Noche | 1986 | uncredited | |
| The Discipline of D.E. | 1982 | Short |
Sound Department
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk | 2008/I | re-recording mixer | |
| Finding Forrester | 2000 | re-recording mixer | |
| Good Will Hunting | 1997 | re-recording mixer | |
| Property | 1979 | sound recordist |
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restless | 2011/I | performer: “Musique #4” / writer: “Train Tracks”, “Sorry for Your Loss”, “Musique #4” | |
| Mala Noche | 1986 | performer: “To Die For Your Love” |
Camera Department
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Cole’s Party | 1987 | Video slate |
Miscellaneous
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queens of Heart: Community Therapists in Drag | 2006 | Documentary production advisor |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cave | 2014/I | Short special thanks | |
| Night Moves | 2013 | special thanks | |
| Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton | 2013 | Documentary very special thanks | |
| Interior. Leather Bar. | 2013 | thanks | |
| Massholes | 2012 | TV Series special thanks – 1 episode | |
| Strutter | 2012 | special thanks | |
| Bucksville | 2011 | thanks | |
| Ocean State | 2010 | thanks | |
| I’m Still Here | 2010/I | special thanks | |
| Shit Year | 2010 | thanks | |
| Some Days Are Better Than Others | 2010 | special thanks | |
| Accidents Happen | 2009 | special thanks | |
| Selfless | 2008 | special thanks | |
| It’s All in Place | 2008 | Short film dedicated to | |
| El camino | 2008/III | special thanks | |
| I’m Not There. | 2007 | special thanks | |
| The Who: Fragments | 2007 | Video documentary thanks | |
| Shortbus | 2006 | thanks | |
| Junebug | 2005 | thanks | |
| Undertow | 2004 | thanks | |
| Saint Jude | 2000 | thanks | |
| Eban and Charley | 2000 | special thanks | |
| Reputations | 1999 | TV Series documentary with thanks to – 1 episode | |
| Zigzag | 1997 | the producers would like to thank | |
| The Celluloid Closet | 1995 | Documentary special thanks |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Días de cine | 1992 | TV Series | Himself |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers: Funky Monks | 1991 | Video | Himself |
| At the Video Store | Documentary post-production | Himself | |
| Xavier Dolan: | 2016 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| I Don’t Belong Anywhere: The Cinema of Chantal Akerman | 2015 | Documentary | Himself |
| Hollywoodland | 2014 | TV Series | Himself |
| Portlandia | 2011-2014 | TV Series | Himself |
| Charlie Rose | 2003-2012 | TV Series | Himself – Guest |
| The Greatest Event in Television History | 2012 | TV Series | Himself |
| Une journée particulière | 2012 | Documentary | Himself |
| The Story of Film: An Odyssey | 2011 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself – Interviewee |
| Le grand journal de Canal+ | 2011 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| TV Festival Du Cannes 2011 | 2011 | TV Movie | Himself |
| The Advocate for Fagdom | 2011 | Documentary | Himself |
| Efter Tio | 2010 | TV Series | Himself |
| William S. Burroughs: A Man Within | 2010 | Documentary | Himself |
| Searching for Elliott Smith | 2009 | Documentary | Himself |
| Milk: Hollywood Comes to San Francisco | 2009 | Documentary short | Himself |
| The 81st Annual Academy Awards | 2009 | TV Special | Himself – Nominee: Best Director |
| Critico | 2008 | Documentary | Himself |
| In the Mood for Doyle | 2007 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Schau mir in die Augen, Kleiner | 2007 | Documentary | Himself |
| Mon plus grand moment de cinéma | 2006 | TV Series short | Himself |
| Wanderlust | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema | 2006 | Documentary | Himself |
| Making of Last Days | 2005 | Video short | Himself |
| Comme au cinéma | 2005 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The American Avant Garde | 2004 | TV Series | Himself |
| On the Set of ‘Elephant’: Rolling Through Time | 2004 | Video documentary short | Himself (uncredited) |
| Larry Clark, Great American Rebel | 2003 | Documentary | Himself |
| Saltlake Van Sant | 2003 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Campus, le magazine de l’écrit | 2003 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Cinema 3 | 2003 | TV Series | Himself |
| Rescued from the Closet | 2001 | Video documentary | Himself |
| Orientations: Chris Doyle – Stirred But Not Shaken | 2001 | Documentary | Himself |
| HBO First Look | 2000 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| ‘Psycho’ Path | 1999 | Video short documentary | Himself |
| Strange Parallel | 1998 | Documentary short | Himself |
| Gomorron | 1998 | TV Series | Himself – Om Filmen |
| The 55th Annual Golden Globe Awards | 1998 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Making of ‘Good Will Hunting’ | 1997 | Video documentary short | Himself – Director |
| Hi Octane | 1994 | TV Series | Himself |
| Cinefile: Made in the USA | 1993 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
Archive Footage
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Special Mention | Berlin International Film Festival | International Jury | Promised Land (2012) |
| 2012 | Cinematographer-Director Duo Award | Camerimage | ||
| 2009 | Movies for Grownups Award | AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2009 | ICS Award | International Cinephile Society Awards | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2009 | Sonny Bono Visionary Award | Palm Springs International Film Festival | ||
| 2008 | BSFC Award | Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2008 | Tribute Award | Gotham Awards | ||
| 2008 | SFFCC Award | San Francisco Film Critics Circle | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2007 | 60th Anniversary Prize | Cannes Film Festival | Paranoid Park (2007) | |
| 2004 | Critics Award | French Syndicate of Cinema Critics | Best Foreign Film | Elephant (2003) |
| 2003 | Palme d’Or | Cannes Film Festival | Elephant (2003) | |
| 2003 | Best Director | Cannes Film Festival | Elephant (2003) | |
| 2003 | Cinema Prize of the French National Education System | Cannes Film Festival | Elephant (2003) | |
| 2003 | VVFP Award | Village Voice Film Poll | Best Director | Elephant (2003) |
| 2002 | Filmmaker on the Edge Award | Provincetown International Film Festival | ||
| 2002 | Visions Award – Special Citation | Toronto International Film Festival | Gerry (2002) | |
| 2001 | Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas | Berlin International Film Festival | Finding Forrester (2000) | |
| 2001 | Christopher Award | Christopher Awards | Feature Films | Finding Forrester (2000) |
| 2000 | Special Award | Yoga Awards | Psycho (1960) | |
| 1999 | Outfest Achievement Award | L.A. Outfest | ||
| 1999 | Razzie Award | Razzie Awards | Worst Director | Psycho (1998) |
| 1998 | FICC Prize – Honorable Mention | Oberhausen International Short Film Festival | Ballad of the Skeletons (1997) | |
| 1997 | Golden Space Needle Award | Seattle International Film Festival | Best Short Film | Ballad of the Skeletons (1997) |
| 1992 | Independent Spirit Award | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Screenplay | My Own Private Idaho (1991) |
| 1991 | Critics Award | Deauville Film Festival | My Own Private Idaho (1991) | |
| 1991 | Coup de Coeur LTC | Deauville Film Festival | My Own Private Idaho (1991) | |
| 1991 | International Critics’ Award | Toronto International Film Festival | My Own Private Idaho (1991) | |
| 1990 | C.I.C.A.E. Award | Berlin International Film Festival | Forum of New Cinema | Drugstore Cowboy (1989) |
| 1990 | Independent Spirit Award | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Screenplay | Drugstore Cowboy (1989) |
| 1990 | NSFC Award | National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA | Best Director | Drugstore Cowboy (1989) |
| 1990 | NSFC Award | National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA | Best Screenplay | Drugstore Cowboy (1989) |
| 1990 | Literary Award | PEN Center USA West Literary Awards | Screenplay Adaptation | Drugstore Cowboy (1989) |
| 1989 | LAFCA Award | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Screenplay | Drugstore Cowboy (1989) |
| 1989 | NYFCC Award | New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Screenplay | Drugstore Cowboy (1989) |
| 1988 | Festival’s Plate | Torino International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival | Mala Noche (1986) | |
| 1987 | Teddy | Berlin International Film Festival | Best Short Film | Five Ways to Kill Yourself (1987) |
| 1987 | Independent/Experimental Film and Video Award | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Mala Noche (1986) |
Nominated Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Palme d’Or | Cannes Film Festival | The Sea of Trees (2015) | |
| 2013 | Movies for Grownups Award | AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | Best Director | Promised Land (2012) |
| 2013 | Golden Berlin Bear | Berlin International Film Festival | Promised Land (2012) | |
| 2011 | Un Certain Regard Award | Cannes Film Festival | Restless (2011) | |
| 2010 | Bodil | Bodil Awards | Best American Film (Bedste amerikanske film) | Milk (2008) |
| 2010 | Cinema Brazil Grand Prize | Cinema Brazil Grand Prize | Best Foreign-Language Film (Melhor Filme Estrangeiro) | Milk (2008) |
| 2010 | César | César Awards, France | Best Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger) | Milk (2008) |
| 2010 | FCCA Award | Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards | Best Foreign Film – English Language | Milk (2008) |
| 2010 | Robert | Robert Festival | Best American Film (Årets amerikanske film) | Milk (2008) |
| 2009 | Oscar | Academy Awards, USA | Best Achievement in Directing | Milk (2008) |
| 2009 | Award of the Argentinean Academy | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Argentina | Best Foreign Film | Milk (2008) |
| 2009 | Critics Choice Award | Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2009 | David | David di Donatello Awards | Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero) | Milk (2008) |
| 2009 | DGA Award | Directors Guild of America, USA | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures | Milk (2008) |
| 2009 | Gold Derby Award | Gold Derby Awards | Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2009 | ICS Award | International Cinephile Society Awards | Best Adapted Screenplay | Paranoid Park (2007) |
| 2009 | ICS Award | International Cinephile Society Awards | Best Editing | Paranoid Park (2007) |
| 2009 | Silver Ribbon | Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists | Best Non-European Director (Regista del Miglior Film Non-Europeo) | Milk (2008) |
| 2009 | IOMA | Italian Online Movie Awards (IOMA) | Best Director (Miglior regia) | Milk (2008) |
| 2009 | ALFS Award | London Critics Circle Film Awards | Director of the Year | Milk (2008) |
| 2009 | OFTA Film Award | Online Film & Television Association | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2009 | VFCC Award | Vancouver Film Critics Circle | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2008 | EDA Award | Alliance of Women Film Journalists | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2008 | ACCA | Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2008 | ACCA | Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Film Editing | Milk (2008) |
| 2008 | Bodil | Bodil Awards | Best American Film (Bedste amerikanske film) | Paranoid Park (2007) |
| 2008 | CFCA Award | Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2008 | DFWFCA Award | Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2008 | HFCS Award | Houston Film Critics Society Awards | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2008 | Independent Spirit Award | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Director | Paranoid Park (2007) |
| 2008 | IOMA | Italian Online Movie Awards (IOMA) | Best Editing (Miglior montaggio) | Paranoid Park (2007) |
| 2008 | Satellite Award | Satellite Awards | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2008 | SLFCA Award | St. Louis Film Critics Association, US | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2007 | Palme d’Or | Cannes Film Festival | Paranoid Park (2007) | |
| 2005 | Bodil | Bodil Awards | Best American Film (Bedste amerikanske film) | Elephant (2003) |
| 2005 | Palme d’Or | Cannes Film Festival | Last Days (2005) | |
| 2004 | COFCA Award | Central Ohio Film Critics Association | Best Director | Gerry (2002) |
| 2004 | César | César Awards, France | Best Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger) | Elephant (2003) |
| 2004 | Independent Spirit Award | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Director | Elephant (2003) |
| 2003 | Independent Spirit Award | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Director | Gerry (2002) |
| 2002 | Golden Leopard | Locarno International Film Festival | Gerry (2002) | |
| 2001 | Golden Berlin Bear | Berlin International Film Festival | Finding Forrester (2000) | |
| 1998 | Oscar | Academy Awards, USA | Best Director | Good Will Hunting (1997) |
| 1998 | Golden Berlin Bear | Berlin International Film Festival | Good Will Hunting (1997) | |
| 1998 | DGA Award | Directors Guild of America, USA | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures | Good Will Hunting (1997) |
| 1998 | Golden Satellite Award | Satellite Awards | Best Director | Good Will Hunting (1997) |
| 1997 | ACCA | Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Director | Good Will Hunting (1997) |
| 1993 | Golden Lion | Venice Film Festival | Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) | |
| 1992 | Independent Spirit Award | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Director | My Own Private Idaho (1991) |
| 1991 | Golden Lion | Venice Film Festival | My Own Private Idaho (1991) | |
| 1990 | Independent Spirit Award | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Director | Drugstore Cowboy (1989) |
2nd Place Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | NSFC Award | National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 2008 | BSFC Award | Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Film Editing | Paranoid Park (2007) |
| 2008 | SEFCA Award | Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards | Best Director | Milk (2008) |
| 1991 | NYFCC Award | New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Director | My Own Private Idaho (1991) |
Source: XYZ
