David Lowery (director)
David Lowery | |
---|---|
Born | |
Education | Irving High School |
Occupation | Filmmaker |
Years active | 2000–present |
Spouse |
David Lowery (born December 26, 1980) is an American filmmaker.
His original work Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013), starring Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck, was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.[1] In 2016, he directed the Disney film Pete's Dragon (2016), a live-action film which he had co-written. It was a new work loosely based on the same original story as the Disney 1977 musical of the same name. In 2017, he directed the drama film A Ghost Story and in 2018, he directed The Old Man & the Gun. In 2021, he directed the fantasy epic The Green Knight.
Early life
[edit]Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,[2] on December 26, 1980,[3] David Lowery is the eldest of nine children born to Madeleine and Mark Lowery. When he was seven, his family moved to Irving, Texas, for his father's work. Lowery attended Irving High School.[4]
At the age of 19, Lowery wrote and directed his first film, a short entitled Lullaby.[4]
Career
[edit]Lowery's first feature film, St. Nick, which follows two runaway children abandoned by their guardians, premiered at the 2009 South by Southwest festival.[5][6] It won the Texas Filmmaker Award at the 2009 AFI Dallas International Film Festival.[7]
In 2011, Lowery started his own production company, Sailor Bear.[8] That same year, he wrote and directed the short film entitled Pioneer, which played at the Sundance Film Festival that year.[9]
In 2013, Lowery wrote, directed and edited his second feature film, Ain't Them Bodies Saints, starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara.[10] The film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.[1] It was selected to compete at the Critics' Week section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.[11] Lowery has said that he drew from great directors and their works for this film, citing Claire Denis's 35 Shots of Rum,[12] Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller,[13] and Paul Thomas Anderson and David Fincher as influences.[14]
In addition to having edited films such as Amy Seimetz's Sun Don't Shine and Shane Carruth's Upstream Color,[15] Lowery co-wrote Pit Stop with director Yen Tan.[16] At the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, it was announced that Lowery would write and direct the film adaptation of the novel The Yellow Birds, written by Iraq War veteran Kevin Powers; it was a 2012 National Book Award finalist. The film was eventually directed by Alexandre Moors and stars Jack Huston, Tye Sheridan, Alden Ehrenreich and Jennifer Aniston.[17]
In April 2016, Lowery directed a remake of Disney's Pete's Dragon, which was met with positive reviews.[18] Lowery also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Toby Halbrooks.[19] In July 2016, it was announced Lowery would direct an episode of Breakthrough for National Geographic Channel.[20] In November 2016, it was announced Lowery had shot a new film, A Ghost Story, over the summer with Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck as a secret project.[21][22]
Lowery next directed the 2018 drama film The Old Man & the Gun, starring Robert Redford as bank robber, Forrest Tucker, and Casey Affleck.[23]
2020s
[edit]Lowery followed up The Old Man and the Gun with the medieval fantasy The Green Knight which stars Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Barry Keoghan, Ralph Ineson and Sean Harris.[24][25] The film was scheduled to world premiere at South by Southwest in March 2020, and be released on May 29, 2020, but the premiere and release were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[26][27] It was released on July 30, 2021.[28]
Lowery directed a segment of the anthology film The Year of the Everlasting Storm which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in July 2021[29][30] and was released in theatres on 3 September 2021.[31]
After working with Disney on Pete's Dragon, Lowery signed on to direct a live-action adaptation of their 1953 animated film Peter Pan in April 2016.[32] The film, titled Peter Pan & Wendy and starring Alexander Molony as Peter Pan, Jude Law as Captain Hook, and Ever Anderson as Wendy Darling, was released on Disney+ on April 28, 2023.[33]
In March 2023, it was announced Lowery would write and direct the music drama film Mother Mary for A24, with Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel starring and Jack Antonoff and Charli XCX writing original songs for the project.[34]
Personal life
[edit]Lowery married filmmaker Augustine Frizzell in 2010.[35] As of 2013[update], they live in Dallas.[36] Lowery identifies as an atheist, and has been a vegan since approximately 1996.[37][38]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]Year | Title | Director | Writer | Editor | Producer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | Deadroom | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
2009 | It Was Great, But I Was Ready to Come Home | No | Yes | No | No |
St. Nick | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
2013 | Ain't Them Bodies Saints | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Pit Stop | No | Yes | No | No | |
2016 | Pete's Dragon | Yes | Yes | No | No |
2017 | A Ghost Story | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
The Yellow Birds | No | Yes | No | No | |
2018 | The Old Man & the Gun | Yes | Yes | No | No |
2021 | The Green Knight | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
2023 | Peter Pan & Wendy | Yes | Yes | No | No |
TBA | Mother Mary | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Executive producer
- Minor Setback (2013)
- Person to Person (2017)
- Never Goin' Back (2018)
- Light from Light (2019)
- Miss Juneteenth (2020)
- We're All Going to the World's Fair (2022)
Short films
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Editor | DoP | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | Lullaby | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also camera operator |
The Knocker | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | ||
2003 | Still | Yes | Yes | Executive | Yes | No | |
Looking for Love | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ||
2006 | G.D.M.F. | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Some Analog Lines | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | ||
2007 | The Outlaw Son[39] | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | |
2008 | A Catalog of Anticipations[40] | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | |
Coda | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
Merrily, Merrily | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | ||
2009 | The Crane House | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | |
Boycrazy Promo | Yes | No | Executive | Yes | Yes | ||
Boycrazy in Bed | Yes | No | Executive | Yes | Yes | ||
Boycrazy Gets a Job | Yes | No | Executive | Yes | Yes | ||
Boycrazy Bikini Mishap | Yes | No | Executive | Yes | Yes | ||
Boycrazy at the Drug Store | Yes | No | Executive | Yes | Yes | ||
2011 | Pioneer[41] | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | |
My Daily Routine[42] | Yes | No | No | No | No | Documentary short | |
2014 | Until We Could[43] | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | |
2021 | Dig Up My Darling | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Segment of The Year of the Everlasting Storm |
2022 | Oak Thorn & The Old Rose Of Love | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
2024 | An Almost Christmas Story | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Additional credits
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2008 | Blood on the Highway | Second unit director and assistant camera |
Ciao | Editor and co-producer | |
2009 | Alexander the Last | Additional editor and sound recordist |
St. Nick | Editor | |
2010 | Lovers of Hate | Cinematographer |
Audrey the Trainwreck | ||
Shadowboxing | Editor | |
2011 | Bad Fever | |
Uncertain, TX | ||
Universal Squadrons | ||
2012 | Sun Don't Shine | |
Reconvergence | Cinematographer | |
Nor'easter | Editor | |
2013 | Upstream Color | |
2014 | Listen Up Philip | Producer |
Empire Builder | Editor and cinematographer |
Acting roles
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Happy Birthday | Videographer | |
2008 | Blood on the Highway | Vampire | |
2009 | Alexander the Last | Stagehand | |
2017 | A Ghost Story | Neighbor's Ghost | Uncredited |
2024 | Queer | Jim Cochan | |
An Almost Christmas Story | Additional voices | Short film |
Television
[edit]Year | Title | Director | Executive producer |
Writer | Episode(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Rectify | Yes | No | No | "Donald the Normal" |
2017 | Breakthrough | Yes | No | No | "Addiction: A Psychedelic Cure?" |
2018 | Strange Angel[44] | Yes | Yes | No | "Augurs of Spring" and "Ritual of Abduction" |
2021 | Cinema Toast | Yes | No | Yes | "The Gunshot Heard 'Round the World" |
2024 | Star Wars: Skeleton Crew | Yes | No | No | "Way, Way Out Past the Barrier" and "Very Interesting, As An Astrogation Problem" |
Accolades
[edit]Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | Texas Film Festival | Best Feature Narrative | Deadroom | Won |
2008 | SXSW Film Festival | Grand Jury Award | A Catalog of Anticipations | Nominated |
2009 | Dallas International Film Festival | Grand Jury Prize | St. Nick | Won |
Sidewalk Film Festival | Special Jury Award | Won | ||
St. Louis International Film Festival | New Filmmakers Forum Award | Won | ||
Thessaloniki Film Festival | Golden Alexander | Nominated | ||
2011 | 24fps International Short Film Festival | Best Short Film | Pioneer | Won |
Ashland Independent Film Festival | Best Short Film | Won | ||
Eastern Oregon Film Festival | Best Short Film | Nominated | ||
Hamptons International Film Festival | Golden Starfish Award | Nominated | ||
Philadelphia Film Festival | Special Jury Award | Won | ||
Sundance Film Festival | Short Filmmaking Award | Nominated | ||
SXSW Film Festival | Competition Award | Won | ||
Grand Jury Award | Won | |||
2013 | Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Editing | Upstream Color | Nominated |
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Editing | Nominated | ||
Deauville Film Festival | Grand Special Prize | Ain't Them Bodies Saints | Nominated | |
Gotham Awards | Best Feature | Nominated | ||
Palm Springs International Film Festival | Directors To Watch | Nominated | ||
Sundance Film Festival | Grand Jury Prize | Nominated | ||
Nashville Film Festival | Best Screenplay | Pit Stop | Won | |
2014 | Independent Spirit Awards | John Cassavetes Award | Nominated | |
Best Editing | Upstream Color | Nominated | ||
2016 | Heartland Film Festival | Truly Moving Picture Award | Pete's Dragon | Won |
2017 | Boston Society of Film Critics | Best Film Editing | A Ghost Story | Won |
Deauville Film Festival | Revelation Prize | Won | ||
Critics Prize | Won | |||
Jury Prize | Won | |||
Grand Special Prize | Nominated | |||
Fantasia Film Festival | Camera Lucida Award | Won | ||
Sitges Film Festival | Carnet Jove Jury Award | Won | ||
Sundance Film Festival | Audience Award | Nominated | ||
Utah Film Critics Association Awards | Best Director | Nominated | ||
2018 | Independent Spirit Awards | John Cassavetes Award | Nominated | |
International Online Cinema Awards | Best Film Editing | Nominated | ||
London Film Festival | Best Film | The Old Man & the Gun | Nominated | |
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
2021 | Cannes Film Festival | Golden Eye | The Year of the Everlasting Storm | Nominated |
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Director | The Green Knight | Nominated | |
Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | |||
Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie | Nominated | ||
Detroit Film Critics Society Awards | Best Director | Nominated | ||
Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | |||
Gotham Awards | Best Feature | Nominated | ||
Best Screenplay | Nominated | |||
International Online Cinema Awards | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
National Board of Review Awards | Top Independent Films | Won | ||
Saturn Awards | Best Fantasy Film | Nominated | ||
Seattle Film Critics Society | Best Director | Nominated | ||
Best Screenplay | Nominated | |||
Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards | Best Film | Nominated | ||
Best Director | Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Lin, Kristian (January 28, 2013). "North Texas Films at Sundance: How'd They Do?". Fort Worth Weekly. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
- ^ Aquino, Tara (August 16, 2013). "Rethinking the West with "Ain't Them Bodies Saints," David Lowery's Artful Sophomore Feature". Complex. Archived from the original on June 19, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
- ^ Mead, Rebecca (January 2012). "Into the Deep". Allure. pp. 103–106.
- ^ a b Kelly, Christopher (August 2013). "How David Lowery Became Dallas' Most Important Filmmaker". D Magazine. Archived from the original on 2014-05-23. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- ^ Schager, Nick (April 17, 2011). "St. Nick - Film Review". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on May 23, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ Siegel, Tatiana (January 16, 2013). "Sundance 2013: 5 Faces to Watch". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy (April 6, 2009). "Gigantic, Skin among key winners at AFI Dallas festival". Screen International. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
- ^ "David Lowery". Variety. Archived from the original on 2018-03-14. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
- ^ Kohn, Eric (January 20, 2013). "Sundance Interview: 'Ain't Them Bodies Saints' Director David Lowery Explains Making More Accessible Movies and Why He Can't Stop Editing Them". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ Smith, Derek (August 20, 2013). "Ain't Them Bodies Saints - Film Review". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
- ^ Smith, Nigel M. (April 22, 2013). "Cannes Reveals International Critics' Week Lineup; 'Ain't Them Bodies Saints' Makes the Cut". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ Harrison, Eddie (September 4, 2013). "Interview: David Lowery, director of Ain't Them Bodies Saints". The List. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
- ^ Gibson, Anthony (February 21, 2014). "David Lowery: I wanted to capture the essence of the great directors, such as Robert Altman, for Ain't Them Bodies Saints". Metro. Archived from the original on May 11, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
- ^ Cox, Gordon (January 7, 2013). "Lowery: Texan talent is Sundance-bound". Variety. Archived from the original on April 15, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
- ^ Aquino, Tara (August 17, 2013). "David Lowery - 25 Directors Who Are 35 and Under You Should Know". Complex. Archived from the original on July 20, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
- ^ Olsen, Mark (August 17, 2013). "David Lowery's rapid rise with 'Ain't Them Bodies Saints'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 11, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ McNary, Dave (May 17, 2014). "CANNES: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tye Sheridan in Iraq War Drama 'Yellow Birds'". Variety. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
- ^ Pete's Dragon (2016) Archived 2021-02-14 at the Wayback Machine Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "After Gritty Sundance Debut On ‘Ain’t Them Bodies Saints’, David Lowery To Reinvent ‘Pete's Dragon’ For Disney." Deadline Hollywood (March 19, 2013).
- ^ "National Geographic Channel Greenlights Second Season of Critically Acclaimed Series BREAKTHROUGH". Business Wire. July 25, 2016. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
- ^ Raup, Jordan (November 22, 2016). "Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara Secretly Shot a New Feature With David Lowery This Summer". The Film Stage. Archived from the original on February 17, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
- ^ Murthi, Vikram (November 22, 2016). "Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck Shot A Secret New Film With David Lowery". Indiewire.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 23, 2017). "Fox Searchlight Landing Robert Redford & Casey Affleck Starrer 'Old Man And The Gun'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (November 6, 2018). "'The Old Man & The Gun' Director David Lowery, A24 Team On Fantasy Epic 'Green Knight'". Deadline. Archived from the original on February 23, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (February 13, 2020). "'The Green Knight' Trailer: Dev Patel, David Lowery Dazzle With Indie Fantasy Epic". IndieWire. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 2, 2020). "A24's Fantasy Film 'The Green Knight' To Make World Premiere At SXSW". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- ^ "City of Austin Cancels SXSW March Events". South by Southwest. March 6, 2020. Archived from the original on March 6, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- ^ Ferme, Antonio (May 11, 2021). "'The Green Knight' Trailer: Watch Dev Patel Slay Monsters in A24's Medieval Fantasy". Variety. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy (May 19, 2021). "Jafar Panahi, Laura Poitras among directors on secret Neon film 'The Year Of The Everlasting Storm'". Screen International. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
- ^ "The films of the Official Selection 2021". Cannes Film Festival. June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ Kenigsberg, Ben (2 September 2021). "'The Year of the Everlasting Storm' Review: Home Movies". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 13, 2016). "Disney Sets 'Pete's Dragon' Helmer David Lowery For New Live Action Peter Pan Film". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ Reul, Katie (February 28, 2023). "'Peter Pan & Wendy' Trailer Unveils Jude Law's Captain Hook, Yara Shahidi's Tinkerbell and a Whole New Neverland". Variety. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (March 21, 2023). "Michaela Coel And Anne Hathaway To Star In Pop Music Epic 'Mother Mary' For David Lowery And A24". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ Mariani, Anthony (March 21, 2012). "Second Annual Visionary Awards". Fort Worth Weekly. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
- ^ Hernandez, Eugene (January 25, 2013). "Daily Buzz: Sundance Episode 8". Film Society of Lincoln Center. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
- ^ McKee, Hannah (29 August 2016). "Director David Lowery talks fluffy dragons and Taika Waititi". Stuff. Archived from the original on 25 November 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
- ^ Whalen, Andrew (12 July 2017). "A Ghost Story Director David Lowery Embraces Death To Transcend Nihilism". Player.One. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
- ^ "AFS Goes a Long Way Back with A GHOST STORY Director David Lowery". Austin Film Society. 2017-07-20. Archived from the original on 2021-10-10. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ "SOMA Magazine » Archive » David Lowery Starts Talking". Archived from the original on 2021-10-10. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ "Pioneer by David Lowery | Short Film". Short of the Week. Archived from the original on 2021-10-10. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ "MCU Times". mcutimes.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-10. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ "WATCH: Freedom to Marry's "Until We Could," by inaugural poet Richard Blanco | Freedom to Marry". www.freedomtomarry.org. Archived from the original on 2021-09-16. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ Greene, Steve (2 August 2017). "David Lowery Set to Direct TV Show About a Sex Occultist Who Helped Invent Rocket Science". Indiewire. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
External links
[edit]- David Lowery at IMDb