Special Programs Archives

Otterbein Welcomes Award-Winning Director
Gus Van Sant

Otterbein College welcomes critically acclaimed independent film director Gus Van Sant to campus as part of the Otterbein College Signature Series on February 20-21, 2004, following a film festival of his work and an art exhibition of his black and white photography to be held on campus throughout winter quarter 2004.

Profile
Gus Van Sant recently received top honors at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, from which he took home the Palme d'Or, the prize for best film, for Elephant which also earned him the prize for best director.

Van Sant began his film career with a brief stint in commercials in New York before making his critically acclaimed film debut with Mala Noche in 1985. Self-financed for $25,000 and shot in black and white, Van Sant's first film was a story of unrequited love of a gay liquor store clerk for a young Mexican immigrant, based on writer Walt Curtis' semi-autobiographical novella. An instant favorite of independent film festival audiences, Mala Noche was named the year's Best Independent Film by the Los Angeles Times. The success brought Van Sant attention from Hollywood, but artistic differences would not allow a partnership to form just yet.

He moved to Portland, Oregon, and with the independent production company Avenue, he made Drugstore Cowboy in 1989. Another critical success, the film earned him an Independent Spirit Award for his screenplay. He followed up with the critically acclaimed My Own Private Idaho in 1991, which also won the Independent Spirit Award for screenplay.

After his 1994 adaptation of Tom Robbins' Even Cowgirls Get the Blues starring Uma Thurman, Van Sant directed Nicole Kidman and Matt Dillon in To Die For in 1995, in his first partnership with a major studio - Columbia. It was a success both critically and at the box office. Also in 1995, he was executive producer for Larry Clark's Kids, another critical success.

Van Sant's big break into mainstream filmmaking came with his 1997 surprise hit, Good Will Hunting. The blockbuster film, starring newcomers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, earned more than 220 million dollars worldwide and received numerous Academy Award nominations, including a Best Director nomination for Van Sant. It won a Best Screenplay Oscar for Damon and Affleck, and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Robin Williams.

Since this runaway success, Van Sant has directed a frame-by-frame remake of the Alfred Hitchcock classic Psycho in 1998, Finding Forrester in 2000, Gerry in 2002 and his latest film, Elephant.

Since the 1980s, Van Sant has also directed a number of short films, which have received acclaim and won awards at film festivals internationally. Also a musician, Van Sant has directed music videos for David Bowie, Elton John, Tracy Chapman, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Hanson, including their video Weird, one of the most requested videos on MTV in 1998. He also released two albums with his Portland, Oregon, band Destroy All Blondes, for which he played guitar and wrote songs. He published his first book of photography, 108 Portraits (Twelvetrees Press), in 1995, and his first novel, Pink, a satire on filmmaking, in 1997 for Doubleday. In addition, he taught film production for a brief period at the Northwest Film Center.

Van Sant has worked with such Hollywood luminaries as Sean Connery, Robin Williams, Nicole Kidman, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Keanu Reeves, Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, John Hurt and the late River Phoenix, among many others.

Van Sant has earned himself such a reputation in the film industry that his name has been mentioned in such pop culture avenues as the television show Sex & the City and his list of cameo appearances is steadily growing.

Schedule of Events

Employee and Student Tickets for "An Evening with Director Gus Van Sant"
Integrative studies students who are required to attend this event should pick up their tickets at the Cowan Hall box office. All other students who would like a ticket may pick them up at College Relations, located in Cellar House.

Each Otterbein employee may receive one ticket free of charge. They may purchase one additional ticket at the reduced price of $15. Tickets may be picked up at College Relations in Cellar House.

Public Tickets for "An Evening with Director Gus Van Sant"
A limited number of tickets for the February 21 event will be open to the public for $25 each beginning February 6. Call (614) 823-1600 to place your name on the waiting list.

Roush Hall is located on the northwest corner of South Grove and Park Streets in Westerville. Towers Hall is located at 0 S. Grove St., north of Roush Hall. The Library is located on the northwest corner of Grove and Main Streets in Westerville. Cowan Hall is located on the northeast corner of South Grove and Park Streets in Westerville. The campus map is located here.