Gus Van Sant

Gus Van Sant is an American filmmaker who began by directing television commercials in the Pacific Northwest before making his feature debut with Mala Noche (1986). Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he earned acclaim for independent films such as Drugstore Cowboy (1989), My Own Private Idaho (1991), and To Die For (1995). He received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for Good Will Hunting (1997) and Milk (2008), both also nominated for Best Picture. Elephant (2003) won him the Palme d'Or and Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival. His later films include Finding Forrester (2000), Last Days (2005), Paranoid Park (2007), Promised Land (2012), Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018), and Dead Man's Wire (2025). For television, he directed and executive produced Boss (2011), When We Rise (2018), and Feud: Capote vs. The Swans (2024). He has also written screenplays, published a novel and a photography book, and released two musical albums.