Gus Van Sant

Known For: Directing
Born: July 24, 1952
Place of Birth: Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Gus Van Sant

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 Phoeni…

Filmography

Dead Man's Wire

2026 · Director

The Trainer

2024 · Gus Van Sant

Nicole Kidman: Eyes Wide Open

2023 · Self (interview)

Andy by Gus

2023 · , Music

Joe Gives Up and Moves to Montana

2021 · Producer

Ouverture of Something That Never Ended

2020 · Director, Writer

Ouverture Of Something That Never Ended

2020 · Creator

At the Video Store

2019 · Self

Zeroville

2019 · Film Archive Curator

Illegal Civilization 3

2018 · Self

Age Out

2018 · Executive Producer

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

2018 · Willamette Week Editor, Director, Screenplay, Story

Thank You for Supporting the Arts

2018

Ain't It Funny

2017 · Dad

FEUD

2017 · Executive Producer, Director

When We Rise

2017 · Director, Executive Producer

Certain Women

2016 · Thanks

Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible

2016 · Self

The Sea of Trees

2016 · Director

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

2015 · Self

About Cinema

2015 · Self

I Am Michael

2015 · Executive Producer

The Canyons

2013 · Dr. Campbell

Strutter

2013 · Thanks

The Greatest Event in Television History

2012 · Self

Promised Land

2012 · Director, Executive Producer

Reflecting On A Journey: Good Will Hunting 15 Years Later

2012 · Self

Laurence Anyways

2012 · Executive Producer

A Special Day

2012 · Self

My Own Private River

2012 · Director

The Advocate for Fagdom

2011 · Self

Boss

2011 · Executive Producer, Director

Restless

2011 · Director, Producer

The Story of Film: An Odyssey

2011 · Self

Two Films, One Legacy

2011

Portlandia

2011 · Gus Van Sant

William S. Burroughs: A Man Within

2010 · Self

I'm Still Here

2010 · Thanks

Howl

2010 · Executive Producer

Virginia

2010 · Executive Producer

Shit Year

2010 · Thanks

Accidents Happen

2009 · Thanks

Milk

2008 · Director, Sound Re-Recording Mixer

8

2008 · Director, Editor

Mansion on the Hill

Mansion on the Hill

2008 · Director

Making Paranoid Park

2008

Critic

2008 · Self

To Each His Own Cinema

2007 · Director

In the Mood for Doyle

2007 · Self

Paranoid Park

2007 · Guy Reading Newspaper (uncredited), Screenplay, Director, Editor

Here’s Looking at You, Boy

2007 · Self

Wild Tigers I Have Known

2006 · Executive Producer

Paris Je T'aime

2006 · Director, Writer

Le Marais

2006 · Writer, Director

Cinema16: American Short Films

2006 · Director

Best of Chris Isaak

2006 · Director

Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema

2006 · Self

Last Days

2005 · Phone Voice (voice), Director, Screenplay, Editor

Entourage

2004 · Gus Van Sant

On the Set of 'Elephant': Rolling Through Time

2004 · Himself, Executive Producer

Leçon de Cinéma

2004 · Self

The Making of Last Days

2004 · Himself

Saltlake Van Sant

2003 · Self

Tarnation

2003 · Executive Producer

Elephant

2003 · Screenplay, Editor, Director

About Elephant

2003 · Self

Gerry

2002 · Editor, Director, Writer

David Bowie: Best of Bowie

2002 · Director

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

2001 · Gus Van Sant

Rescued from the Closet

2001 · Self

Finding Forrester

2000 · Library Assistant (uncredited), Director

Easter

2000 · Director

De Witt Clinton Choir

De Witt Clinton Choir

2000 · Director

The Making of Drugstore Cowboy

1999

Psycho Path

1999 · Self - Director, Executive Producer

Speedway Junky

1999 · Executive Producer

Psycho

1998 · Man Talking to Man in Cowboy Hat (uncredited), Producer, Director

Strange Parallel

1998 · Self

The Director's Vision: Hollywood's Best Discuss Their Craft

1998 · himself

Good Will Hunting

1997 · Director, Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Ballad of the Skeletons

1997 · Writer, Director

Four Boys in a Volvo

1996 · Director

To Die For

1995 · Director

Kids

1995 · Executive Producer

Guns on the Clackamas

1995

Hi Octane

1994 · Self

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

1994 · Director, Writer, Editor, Executive Producer

Made in the USA

1993 · Self

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Funky Monks

1991 · Self

My Own Private Idaho

1991 · Man Behind Hotel Counter (uncredited), Director, Screenplay

Thanksgiving Prayer

1991 · Director, Producer

Flea Sings

1991 · Director

Drugstore Cowboy

1989 · Himself (uncredited), Director, Screenplay

Ken Death Gets Out of Jail

1988 · Director

Junior

1988 · Himself, Director

Mala Noche

1987 · Guy at Hotel (uncredited), Director, Screenplay, Producer, Editor

Five Ways to Kill Yourself

1987 · , Director, Writer

My New Friend

1987 · Director

Switzerland

1985 · Director

The Discipline of D.E.

1982 · Director

Property

1979 · Sound

Psycho Shampoo

1979 · Director

1/2 of a Telephone Conversation

1973 · Director

Little Johnny

1972 · Director

The Happy Organ

The Happy Organ

1971 · Director

Nightmare Typhoon

Nightmare Typhoon

— · Gus, Director

Killing Gawker

— · Director

Antinous

— · Producer

My Friend

— · Director

Explain it Like I’m Five

Explain it Like I’m Five

— · Director

Last Days

— · Original Film Writer

Untitled Hoyt Richards Film

Untitled Hoyt Richards Film

— · Director

Gus Van Sant · Virelixia